by Snoozy 35 Replies latest watchtower medical
If they pay for blood, they can't trust a questionare, so I hope the blood screening is very thorough. People will lie for money and assume bad blood will be screened out, but they still get the cash. Turning away an effeminate man makes little sense.
Think of Magic Johnson. No one would question him if they didn't know his story.
NC
Nobody gets paid for their blood donation in Canada. Nobody. At best, they'll give you some orange juice and a couple of cookies afterward, but the voluntary aspect of donating helps to eliminate individuals who donate just so they can make a few bucks that they'll use to hook up with their dealer afterward.
They verify that your hemoglobin level is adequate for donation during the intake process, then send you to the nurse to check your blood pressure and pulse. The nurses also examine your antecubital fossae for track marks.
One last thing that happens after you go through the "highly personal" questions with the nurse. You are given a ballot that has two stickers on it. One sticker says DO the other says DO NOT. You are then asked to fill in the blank space on the ballot with one of the stickers in the line that reads: Please ______ use my donation. This helps people to "save face" if they are part of a group that comes in to donate blood, but know deep down that they have engaged in risky behaviours that would jeopardize the safety of the blood supply. (Some employers will give a half-day off with pay to donate blood, if you attend the donation centre as a group.)
I'd rather go through this every single time I donate rather than let one questionable unit of blood enter the system.
The only restrictions should be health restrictions.
I have not been able to donate blood because I am Gay. Twice I have tried to, and the first time they assumed I was Gay because I was not wearing a wedding band. The second time I was with a male friend, and we were again told that Gay people were not allowed to donate blood. The second time I even had my recent test results (less than 2 weeks old) that showed I am HIV negative and they said it still doesn't matter that since I am Gay I cannot donate. Nice how again they automatically assumed that I was Gay. I guess I gotta get that Q tattoo removed from my forehead...
I'd rather go through this every single time I donate rather than let one questionable unit of blood enter the system.
I agree! While I appreciate anybody who who is willing to donate blood, this is an issue of safety.
The donor qualifications also bar you for risky heterosexual behavior (prostitution, etc.), illegal drug use, travel to countries with histories of malaria and Crutzfeldt-Jakob disease, being in jail for more than three days, even taking many common prescriptions. My experience with US volunteer blood banks is the same as Scully describes for Canada.
In a certain country I won't name, being a single heterosexual male makes you somewhat suspicious. In their opinion, you're prone to have different lovers over a period of time. The truth is, they are usually right. They prefer married donors. They are aware that nothing is 100% safe, but they do their best. And you don't get money for donating. At best, juice.
The only restrictions should be health restrictions.
yes. that's what those restrictions are.
hey - it's been a long time since being here...
I gave blood 2 days ago in the UK and there are lots of personal, health and lifestyle questions. I was not allowed to donate on two occasions in the past. Once due to having had a recent cold. The other time due to a travel destination they considered a potential maleria risk.
It's only since I gave blood and saw the lengths they went to to ensure the quality that I am now confident about receiving blood if necessary.
There should be restrictions if it reduces the risk of there being contaminated blood - no matter how unpolitically correct that is or who gets offended by it - the end justifies the means in this case.
mmxiv
In honor of the awake that has all the children who died because they had killer parents...I was going to donate blood today. It was to be my first ever donation but when I got there I found out I could not....I had been to a country where malaria existed. It was a few months back, but now I can donate for a year....booo. But I understand it.
As to the point about being gay I will leave you with an anecdote....My Gay roommate has been with 3 guys in the past 24 hours....I wish I had that kind of game, but then again women are not as easy as men. He understands and agrees with the policy.
According to the CDC only 5% of people are eligible to donate blood, so with those numbers I don’t think it is only the Gays that they are discriminating against.
And you don't get money for donating. At best, juice.
There are a limited number of types of donations in the US that are paid nowadays--thankfully--since volunteer donor blood is much safer.
I don't know if that's true in the country you won't name.
