why can't gay men donate blood?

Answer 1

Gay men remain banned for life from donating blood, due to a 1983 prohibition meant to prevent the spread of HIV through transfusions.

Before giving blood, all men are asked if they have had sex, even once, with another man since 1977. Those who say they have are permanently banned from donating. The FDA said those men are at increased risk of infection by HIV that can be transmitted to others by blood transfusion.

So not all gay men are banned from donating blood - it's only if you've had sex with another man.
So if you're a gay man and still a virgin, you can donate blood. However, as soon as you have sex, you're permanently banned.
This includes ANY man who has had sex with another man - whether they are self-identified as gay, bisexual, etc.

But in a document posted in May of this year, the FDA said it would change its policy if given data that show doing so wouldn’t pose a “significant and preventable” risk to blood recipients.

Answer 2

It is some stupid old fasioned prehistoric thought that Gay men are in some way at a higher risk of contracting Hep B or HIV.

This thought is totally wrong.

Hetrosexual men and women are at just as high risk - if not higher, furthermore, all blood is screened.

I am amoung the many doctors campaining for the rules to be changed - here in the UK, Homosexual people should be able to give blood in 2008.

If you are Gay and you want to give Blood, just go and do it, dont tell them about your sexuality - it's nobodys business except yours.

By the way 'Dr Frank' needs to learn some current medicine given his incorrect answer - I doubt he's a doctor at all.

Answer 3

this is simply by fact gay adult males are "at bigger danger" of having stds so as that they gained't take our blood. in my opinion, i think of this is unfair and ridiculous, fantastically whilst they have a scarcity of blood donors and that they are constantly available encouraging human beings to donate. If i'm ever asked i could probable say i'm immediately. i understand i'm a virgin and clean, so why could desire to I quite have my blood refused over something as beside the point what gender i come across beautiful. this is probable a very old regulation pertaining to to old analyze.

Answer 4

Apparently we all carry HIV.

The rate of HIV infection is actually much faster among heterosexuals now, not that the government would ever acknowldge that. It's crazy that we cannot donate blood. I would have donated to that stupid Jehovah's Witness! HAHA!

Mandz, it's only gay (and bi) MEN who are banned from donating blood. Lesbians are not affected. Actually, from the point of view of HIV risk, lesbian is the way to go.

Answer 5

You've received a lot of moronic answers here so far.

It is not discrimination or stupidity.

If you notice. Three questions are asked at screening.
Have you had sex with another man in the last ten years, or had sex with a man who has had sex with another man in the past ten years?
Do you have any tattoos?
Have you ever used IV drugs?

These are asked to screen out possible carriers of HIV, AIDS, hepatitis etc. They do screen all blood samples anyway, but these questions, if answered honestly can save a lot of time and money as well as lives.

Based on a persons choice in behaviors, one cannot blame society or blood collection companies or the Red Cross for having to provide a level of protection for recipients of blood and blood products.

AIDS and HIV can take up to ten years to show up. So even if a person does not show positive for it now and its been five years since their last "encounter", that "encounter" being gay sex, or IV drug use or getting a tattoo, they can still contract these things. Notice I say "a person", not "gay men".

It's just one of many facts of life.

13 year olds can't get drivers licenses.
Men can't give childbirth.
Women can't get other women pregnant.

It is not against "gay men" as much as it is for public safety.

ADD- AHHHHHH, I see someone doesn't like hearing the truth.

Answer 6

I think it's to do with the risk of HIV and other infections that might be dangerous to the recipient and it's not a homophobic thing. When I give blood I get asked if I've had oral or anal sex with a man, had a tattoo in the past year, or been to countries with malaria or other diseases recently etc. They don't specifically ask your sexual orientation.

Answer 7

please dont think for one minute that i belive this or that i am homophobic by answering this because i am not.

the reason they dont allow gay men to donate blood is because the way in which they have sex i.e anal intercourse puts them at a higher risk of catching and spreading the hiv virus

another prejudice view is that gay men are more promiscuis and careless thus further increasing the risk of catching and spreading hiv.

i just want to reiterate that this is not my view, but i work in healthcare and this is definately the view of some

Answer 8

Because they are statistically at higher risk of being infected with slow viruses, including HIV and hepatitis C. The same is true of intravenous drug users and people in the sex trade. All of whom are quoted as indulging in high risk activities. Tests for HIV are not 100% acurate and may not show up as positive for some months after the patient has become infected, thus simply testing the blood is not guaranteed to exclude infection.

Answer 9

Zimblast didn't read his own reference did he. It says

You should never give blood if:

2 You're a man who's had sex with another man, even safe sex using a condom.

You should not give blood for 12 months after sex with:

1 A man who has had sex with another man (if you're a female).

The risk of carrying hepatitis is probably to high. It is easy to be a carrier and not know it.

Answer 10

I've got no idea and also don't like the idea to have blood transfusion... I'd rather prefer my own blood.