Ban for Gay Men Donating Blood Remains

Ban for Gay Men Donating Blood Remains

There has been an FDA ban for gay men donating blood for many years, because of the risk of spreading HIV. This is a controversial topic, although it shouldn’t be. It’s a little science and a lot of common sense. Partakers of anal sex are at higher risk of contracting HIV because of the nature of the act:

In general, the person receiving the semen is at greater risk of getting HIV because the lining of the rectum is thin and may allow the virus to enter the body during anal sex. However, a person who inserts his penis into an infected partner also is at risk because HIV can enter through the urethra (the opening at the tip of the penis) or through small cuts, abrasions, or open sores on the penis.

Not having (abstaining from) sex is the most effective way to avoid HIV. If people choose to have anal sex, they should use a latex condom. Most of the time, condoms work well. However, condoms are more likely to break during anal sex than during vaginal sex. Thus, even with a condom, anal sex can be risky.

Although the chances of spreading HIV via tranfusion are small, it does happen.

The FDA said HIV tests currently in use are highly accurate, but still cannot detect the virus 100 percent of the time. The estimated HIV risk from a unit of blood is currently about one per 2 million in the United States, according to the agency.

I personally know someone who contracted HIV this way. One of my friends has a brother with hemophilia, and he got HIV from a transfusion. As far as I know there’s no proof that the HIV infected donor was gay, but it is probable. The politically incorrect statistics show that gay men are at higher risk for HIV than any other segment of the population:

MSM [men who have sex with men] made up more than two thirds (60%) of all men living with HIV in 2005, even though only about 5% to 7% of men in the United States reported having sex with other men.

That’s a shocking statistic. Less than 10% of the men in the country account for 60% of the men with HIV? So they’re not just picking on gay men out of some religious or political agenda.

Other people are barred as well:

Anyone who’s used intravenous drugs or been paid for sex also is permanently barred from donating blood.

Others are excluded, permanently or temporarily, for other reasons. Getting a tattoo prevents you from giving blood for a year, I believe. I’m banned – I used to be a gallon a year donor, but one false positive for hepatitis got me barred forever – even though I had my doctor do another test and I got a clean bill of health from him. I went back with a letter from my doctor describing the results of the re-test, but they would not relent. I can understand and empathize with people who want to give blood, but can’t. But in the interest of public safety, it is simple common sense that this ban should remain until the FDA’s requirements are met:

In a document posted Wednesday, 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.

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