Every Donated Blood? How Many Gallons Are You Up To?

[arwalden]

And how long did it take you?

I've NEVER donated blood. I've tried... but local blood banks and hospital/mall/university/bloodmobile blood drives reject me because supposedly, I'm "high risk".

Never mind that more gay men actually KNOW their HIV status than other "low risk" groups who think they are immune.

Never mind that they screen the blood anyway.

This is such a throwback policy. It's so 80's. (Am I being too sensitive?)

-- Allen

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Nope

I refuse to give blood because of that specific policy. I'm not a gay man, but your blood's just as good as mine, imho. Until they will take your blood too, they're not getting a drop outta me! :bounce:

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. that's a dumb-ass reason

You may not like the policy, and I for one certainly don't like it, but I give blood every 60 days.

It saves lives. That's the bottom line.

If I could only get my father to give blood, I have a fairly common type A+ blood, but my dad is O-, which is pretty rare and also the univeral doner.

[Skittles]

22. ooh yeah

that'll show those hundreds of people who need blood everyday! :O

[SyracuseDemocrat]

28. you're selfish

yeah you're making your statement while people die. congrats to you - i would figure instead that the reason you won't give blood is that you're scared of needles.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I used to, but they won't let me anymore...

I am immune defficient...i.e. rheumatoid arthritis and pancreatitis, so they don't want me anymore. I was a slow bleeder so they hated taking my blood anyway.

[thom1102]

18. Me too,

I used to lie about my homosexuality, so that I could give blood (I was always well informed of my HIV status, and felt it was more important to keep blood supplies well stocked.) Then I got Hepatitis B and even though I no longer have any active disease in my body, the antibodies are still in my bloodstream as a result of having the disease. The antibodies could trigger the disease in a person with a depressed immune system. So I don't give anymore.

[JackDragna]

3. I've donated enough to fill all the oceans.

It takes about 20 minutes from the screening process to them pulling the needle out and forcing you to eat cookies.

As much sympathy as I have for you, I agree that gay men probably shouldn't be allowed to give blood. You know you're safe, but look at it from the view of the collecting agency. Gay sex is a common HIV transmission pathway and getting HIV is a death sentence. If they willingly gave someone blood that had HIV and participated in high risk activities, the donor companies/hospitals would be in tremendous trouble. They have to be so very careful - even living in England during the 1980's, for example, disqualifies you in the US because of the threat of having mad cow disease.

[arwalden]

4. I'm sure you mean to say *unprotected* sex, right?

Besides... I suppose I could just LIE and pretend I'm straight... Hellsbells, the drug users lie when they SELL their blood (plasma?) so that they can buy their next hit.

It's all so maddening.

-- Allen

[JackDragna]

7. I didn't mean it.

That's a level of minutia that hospitals have no way of verifying. You can tell the hospital you've been careful all your life, but in the hospital's view, you've admitted to engaging in a risky behavior. It doesn't take much to go over their threshold..I went to England last August and I still have to give a speech about what I did over there each time I give blood. They just have so little margin of error that unfortunately massive paranoia isn't unreasonable.

[arwalden]

5. How Long Must You Wait Between Donations? Obviously...

... you can't donate on consecutive days. (At least that's what Hawkeye and Trapper John led me to belive on MASH.)

-- Allen

[supernova]

6. Takes about 35-40 days

to replace a pint of blood in your system.

I've never been able to give blood. It's not that I'm in any high risk group. I've had so many IVs over the years, my veins are just terrible.

But I sincerely admire the ones who do give.

[JackDragna]

8. I give every six weeks.

eom

[JitterbugPerfume]

9. They can't have my blood

I am USING it !!!!

[JackDragna]

10. You should give!

It's one of the ultimate liberal, altruist activities. There's never enough blood, except when idiots come out for 9/11. There's also apparently some small health benefit in making the body produce new red blood cells every two months or so.

[Snow]

12. I used to give regularly to the Red Cross, which was right near my

office - and it was as often as they'd let me, because I'm a high-demand type (O+). I guess I'm over 4 gallons, but I don't remember how long it took. Figure the interval, times a pint per go, and you'll be pretty close. Turns out, though, the Red Cross has gone from being the nice charitable organization that I taught swimming for as a volunteer back in the 60's, to an outfit that engages in some pretty questionable ethical dealings. So I'm looking for a way to donate to the large HMO I work for (not an insurance company only; we have our own clinics & hospitals). And yes, it is good for you - especially for non-smoking men and post-menopausal women, & it's protective against cardiovascular disease. Look under any scientific publication database such as pubmed for myers & strickland. And I know Eric Rimm says it isn't protective after all, but I don't think he's right. Just because he works at the channing labs!

[SyracuseDemocrat]

31. I guess I'm one of those damned idiots

who came out for 9/11, shame on me for wanting to help my countrymen in a time of need. :eyes:

[tsipple]

11. "Indefinitely Deferred" Now

I donated lots of blood over the years, starting in high school. The local blood bank was very good about calling me on the day I was eligible to donate again, probably because I always kept my appointments.

And then the FDA changed the rules so that people who spent a cummulative 3 calendar months in the United Kingdom during several years are now ineligible to donate blood. (The limit used to be 6 months.) I lived in England for about 5 1/2 months in the late 1980s.

The FDA prevents me from donating blood because I'm supposedly at risk for contracting CJD, a brain disorder that is loosely related to "Mad Cow Disease." Never mind that I didn't eat beef in England, as far as I can remember. Never mind that CJD is extremely rare, and no one has ever caught CJD through blood transfusion. (There's a great deal of mystery about CJD and its transmission.) So now you can sleep around with thousands of women, as long as they're reputable (no money, no drugs, etc.), and that's perfectly fine. But spend more than 3 months in England and you're ineligible. Never mind the Canadian Mad Cow scare of late. (You can donate blood if you're Canadian. Apparently Canadians don't get CJD.)

It's totally wacky, and I'm pretty upset, actually, because if I ever need any blood for transfusion, I'm not going to get it from low risk donors like me.

[Bossy Monkey]

15. Ditto

Junior Year Abroad, 82-83. I'm peevish about it, but what can ya do?

[Aristus]

13. Every six months like clockwork until a year ago,

when they started turning away Gulf War vets. Said there was a risk of some disease. Hooey. I feel fine. Let me give blood!

[proud patriot]

14. Yes twice now

:hi:

[Exultant Democracy]

16. 7 times,

It would be more (because I kind of like it for some reason), but I'm lazy.

[blondeatlast]

17. Speaking as one who has received a few transfusions . . .

When faced with having to have my first transfusion, exposure to all of those diseases, (not just HIV/AIDS, but mad cow, etc.) weighed heavily on my mind. I knew that the risk was virtually nil, but being as ill as I was I don't know that logic was fully with me. I was very resistant (without the blood I couldn;t have the needed surgery) but the brain just wasn't in top form. My husband and kid had to bring me to reality.

Blood and plasma are in such perpetually short supply that I'm sure they weigh risk factors very carefully before they exclude anyone.

I DON'T think you are being too sensitive, it bothers me that I can't "give it back," too.But I figure the blood banks are more informed than I am about risk vs. benefit.

Just for the willingness to donate, thank you! And to those who donate, thank you, too. This DUer with a rare type is here because (maybe one of you?) donated.

:toast:

[Skittles]

20. over 20 gallons

lots of it in triple doses of platelets (needles in BOTH arms for 90 minutes).

My O neg blood is VERY POPULAR. :D

[Scout]

21. Yes

the actual donation doesn't take that long for me ... ummm, 15 minutes? never really timed it, but the nurses always seem surprised that my pint is full already!

I'm up to a gallon and a couple more pints so far.

[Darth_Kitten]

23. 3 times, the first time I fainted.........

2nd time I got really dizzy and had to sit down.

3rd time I got them to stop because I was feeling sick.

:( It's too bad because my blood group is one of the most common and there's a high demand for it, but maybe I'm just not "cut" out for giving blood. :(

[Darth_Kitten]

24. 3 times, the first time I fainted.........

2nd time I got really dizzy and had to sit down.

3rd time I got them to stop because I was feeling sick.

:( It's too bad because my blood group is one of the most common and there's a high demand for it, but maybe I'm just not "cut" out for giving blood. :(

[Darth_Kitten]

25. 3 times, the first time I fainted.........

2nd time I got really dizzy and had to sit down.

3rd time I got them to stop because I was feeling sick.

:( It's too bad because my blood group is one of the most common and there's a high demand for it, but maybe I'm just not "cut" out for giving blood. :(

[Darth_Kitten]

27. Triple post......haha...

how did that happen? Oh well....

[anti_shrub]

26. I donated once

...and the blood bank never stopped calling me. No wonder they have such a hard time getting people to donate, since they practically harass you for months after you do it.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

29. Yes, you are being too sensitive...

This policy may seem to reflect homophobic prejudices, not medical facts. But that's not why it exists. It's not really a "throwback" policy either. Sure, it started in the 80s, but that's only because AIDS was so prevalent in gay communities during this time. There are many good reasons to reject blood from active homosexuals. Safety of the blood supply is the FIRST priority, not your right to give blood. Not to mention that a LOT of people would then be afraid to receive blood from blood banks that accept gay donations. I do think that a small change in the policy is appropriate - say, a gay man having to wait 5 years after homosexual sex before being able to give blood, but I will give an example here. In this little snippet, a selfish gay person felt that their right to give blood was more important than the safety of the blood recipients.

http://www.hivdent.org/publicp/ppcogbdrqic0699.htm

"In Canada, Ottawa police may file criminal charges against Joel Pinon, a gay activist who lied about his sexual orientation on a questionnaire when donating blood. Hema-Quebec and Canadian Blood Services reject blood from men who have sex with men, because they are at high risk for HIV infection. Officials at the blood banks say the window between infection and when the virus expresses itself makes such donations particularly risky. Pinon says he lied because he thinks asking male blood donors whether they have had sex with other men is discriminatory. The unit of blood Pinon donated has been destroyed, but white platelets from the blood have already been used in a transfusion; Hema-Quebec will trace the recipient for HIV testing. Pinon has been barred from donating blood in the future."

What a selfish, stupid asshole. Congratulations, Mr. Pinon, you exemplify what is wrong with this world today and the whole ME attitude...

[SyracuseDemocrat]

30. By the way,

I've given blood 3 times (I'm only 18). I try and give as often as I can remember - I last gave 3 weeks ago, and I am scheduled to give again in mid-September, the earliest I can give.

[Mixxster]

32. I'm working on 16 gallons

Allen,

We went through this on the boards a few months ago. There are other restrictions. At the hospital where I donate they ask:

* Have you ever had sex with a man who had sex with another man, even once since 19__ ? (I'm a woman)

* Have you ever had sex with someone who needed blood or blood products?

* Have you traveled outside the U.S.?

* Have you traveled to certain African countries or have you had sex with men from those countries.

You will also be disqualified for a year from the time you get piercings or tatoos or from the time you come in contact with someone else's blood.



Congrats on 20 gallons, Skittles! :thumbsup: You've obviously got a few donation years on me.



Someone said they donated every 6 weeks. I am only allowed to donate every 2 months, I thought that was standard.