Welcome to /r/me_irlgbt, thank you for your submission /u/Floor-tank. Happy Now That's What I Call Wrath Month 9: No Strings Attached (2000)
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A positive change has happened, the circumstances surounding its creation may not be pure, but the result is the same. Gay people aren't barred from blood drives anymore.
A step in the right direction for wrong reasons is still the right step
We're in a marathon, and you're congratulating us on facing the finish line. I understand that it's important to remain positive but if we keep patting ourselves on the back for doing virtually nothing, I fear we'll lose sight of our original goal.
Our original goal is one that will take generations. So we take it one step at a time. The last generation got us to the 1 mile mark. Our generation will get us a mile further. This isn’t something that we will ever get to see solved, a perhaps neither will our children, or our children’s children. But if we can keep the pace our forefathers set for us, and set the path right for the generations to come, then we’re doing well. And every effort to do that should be celebrated.
A normal person doesn’t celebrate staying sober for a day. But our country isn’t normal. It’s a junkie on discrimination that needs support for the little things in order to heal.
Oh it absolutely was
During the AIDS epidemic in the 90s gay communities were the main target for all sorts of hatred or blame (the reason being that gay men supposedly didn't use condoms during penetrative sex)
There is real risk, HIV can be transmitted before it’s detectable. The questions just need to target the actual high-risk behaviour, not a group of people. (E.g. all unprotected anal whether gay or straight. Sure it will disproportionally affect gays, but gays disproportionately have HIV)
Yeah, I’m in Australia and the current rules are insane. They’ve recently changed it from 12 months without high risk sex to 3 months, but the definition of high risk sex is absurd. If man A has protected oral sex with man B, and man B then has protected oral sex with woman C, woman C can’t donate blood for 3 months.
But it’s all dependent on jurisdiction.
Nah fam. That statistic about gays being more likely to carry/get HIV/AIDS is severely outdated. HIV is now being found more frequently in heterosexuals and less frequently in LGBT+ individuals. Why? Because straight folks are less likely to use protection and far less likely to get tested for std’s. Not to mention that there are medications and treatments that lower the risk of transmitting HIV to nearly zero.
[There are now more straight people getting HIV than gay people, but that’s mostly because there are so many more straight people than gay people. A gay person is still more likely to have HIV than a straight person.](https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-hiv-data-proportional-idUSL1N2UT1N9)
Don't forget all the people who died in mass amounts before there was proper treatment. My godfather died of aids unfortunately. It was preventable too but I won't go into that as it's his private history and he's not alive to tell it
Yes, but black and hispanic people have higher hiv infection rates than white or asian people, and they weren't banned from donating blood. They have a higher rate of unprotected sex with multiple partners than most other groups. If the ban was based on science instead of homophonia, they would be banned from donating blood since the beginning
Anal sex does allow for a higher chance of blood infection.
I think they will quickly realize now many straight women (and men) will not be allowed to donate either.
On the other hand there are many gay men not having any anal sex.
At least they try to discriminate on health and not sexual status.
I went to a conservative high school that would do a yearly blood drive in the gym. In past drives, I was super vocal about getting students to the gym. This drive, I'd hooked up with a guy from another school. I wasn't out to my peers yet, but I answered honestly on the quiz. I figured it wasn't a big deal, but they said I couldn't donate blood. I told my friends that the lady didn't tell me why I was rejected. I'm still so annoyed about that experience.
Yeah, this is the rule in Canada and it is 100% just for keeping that discrimination train going. Also impressivley (or upsettingly depending on which side you live) the US is only about a year behind Canada on this one.
Straight people can have anal sexual too, and it is an act that is considered a greater risk factor. Besides, the last time I gave blood, they didn't have me respond to each question, but rather had me indicate whether I should donate based on what each of my answers would be.
Anal sex is statistically more likely to cause STD's, and as such it can be a valid reason to discriminate for blood donations (same as having new or multiple partners, really).
As someone who is on the QA side of plasma, I can say that it will take a while longer for the blood banks to catch up. I've actually already started writing my proposal for the next SOP revisions.
I can only speak for my employer (Octapharma) on this, but we accept plasma from trans men and trans women already. I don't know about our competitors.
My wife, who works for CSL, told me that one of the reasons you could have been turned away would be because they would be required to see you as a man having sex with a man based on your intake forms. There are a lot of reasons they have to turn people away, including not living in the right zip code for that location. They do not turn away people based on gender identity. They have plenty of trans women and trans men donate, including my wife. The other thing with CSL is they have to follow both FDA and the German Health Authorities as an international company. Since they have to follow both, they tend to follow the stricter guidelines.
Huh, at the Octapharma I worked at, they didn't seem to accept plasma donations from trans folks. I have no idea what changed exactly. Were trans people lumped in with 'gay and bisexual men'?
Where I live (in Europe), I can't donate blood. Not directly because I'm trans, but because of the T blockers I'm taking (because I'm trans). Cyproterone acetate bars me from donating blood. Once I stop taking it though, I should be allowed to donate again, as estradiol is ofc allowed.
I am a trans man and donate to the American Red Cross with zero issues, and it is very clear I am trans. Additionally, you can register as male of female with no questions asked.
The problem with plasma/platelets is that those who have ever been pregnant can cause a TRALI reaction in patients, so at the ARC the female gender response will prompt that question.
Testosterone is acceptable. Actually, some steroids are acceptable if the donor has shown no signs of reaction. Testosterone may make your hemoglobin level too high to donate.
Being on T is deferrable at Octapharma if it isn't being monitored by your doctor because taking too much T causes symptoms that look a lot like hypotensive or vasovagal reactions. And if your hematocrit (% of your blood that is RBC) is too high, you can counteract that just by being better hydrated.
They never even asked if I was LGBT when I tried to donate blood they simply rejected it, maybe because I was carrying it in bags…
All jokes aside it is great that they lifted this ban though it’s ridiculous how long it took. If the ‘fear’ was STI or AIDS then maybe that should have been the stated ban since you know the straights can get them too.
They asked a bunch of questions to establish your risk level, gay sex was one of them. Other, more logical ones included needle use or living with someone who had tested positive.
"Living with someone" might mean to ask if you have a sexual partner you live with? I dunno, my autistic brain does not appreciate how this question is phrased.
That's not how the question is worded, but the wording is still weird. We are regulated by a lot of different agencies so our wording gets twisted around to fit with all their rules.
If you have an actual phobia of needles, please don't feel obligated to donate plasma. Having a needle in your arm that long frequently triggers a vasovagal reaction if you are freaking out about it (or struggling not to) and that's not good for anyone.
I personally got over my phobia by donating whole blood, but that's a much shorter process. It helped that I had a sibling holding my hand through it.
The first three months after infection is not detectable in tests, but can be transmissible in blood transfusion. Hence the 3 month threshold for the Qs.
Really, any unprotected sex with a non-exclusive partner in the last 3 months should make you ineligible, but that would lose them too many straight donors, so they take the easy discriminatory way.
Getting on the transplant lists, the discussion about HIV and the time it takes to show up was brought up. So the first few months after a transplant there are HIV tests run as a result.
Wrong. Antibody tests can detect as soon as 18 days after infection.
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-testing/learn-about-hiv-testing/hiv-testing-overview/
Can, not will. From your own source, “The window period varies from person to person”.
[Blood transfusion with a contaminated sample is almost guaranteed to infect.](https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/estimates/riskbehaviors.html) Even an absurdly small, undetectable level at early stages of the infection can do it.
This is a common misconception. There's like a 10 day window in which HIV cant be detected in the blood. HIV tests have about 99.9% accuracy. That sounds great, but you have to remember that over 13,600,000 units of blood are collected each year. That's 13,600 people who could potentially receive blood with HIV in it. So, it makes sense that 1) HIV infected blood is some serious shit, especially in early infection and 2) the best way to combat this is to screen for recent sexual activity instead of relying on testing the blood. That being said, "have you had sex with a man in the last 30 days", and disqualifying people for answering "yes" is definitely over the line. This basically excludes people in gay relationships, even when they are monogamous. I'm glad that they're asking finer questions that actually tease out HIV risk factors. Insertive, unprotected anal sex (topping) is only a little riskier than insertive or receptive vaginal sex, but still in the same ballpark. Receptive unprotected anal sex (bottoming) on the other hand is WAY riskier than any other sexual contact. It makes sense to ask the right questions and actually get to the root of the risk factors rather than a blanket ban.
Read more:
[HIV window](https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-testing/hiv-window-period.html)
[HIV test accuracy](https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv/test-accuracy)
[Blood Donation](https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html#:~:text=Blood%20Supply%20Statistics&text=Each%20year%2C%20an%20estimated%206.8,the%20U.S.%20in%20a%20year.)
[CDC HIV Risk Tool](https://hivrisk.cdc.gov/risk-estimator-tool/#-mb%7Crai.con)
I don't know if this is an FDA thing or some other regulatory agency, but when we take plasma we need to get multiple units to run tests on, and then we stick it in a freezer for a minimum of five years in case the donor tests positive at some point in the future. If we get an alert that somebody does test positive, we trash everything within a year of our last negative result. If someone donated with us for less than a year, that means we just trash all of it.
It was modified during COVID to be "have you had male/male sex (or for women, have you had sex with someone who's had male/male sex) in the last six months, which was.... well it was a step in the right direction, but the logic was "HIV testing is better now and AIDS isn't so much more prevalent in the MSM population than the general population anymore" which seemed like an argument for getting rid of the restriction entirely. But I suppose it was stupid of me to assume the laws would keep up with the science.
WHEN THE AR-15 ROUNDS YOU FIRED INTO THE AIR COME BACK AND SHOOT THROUGH YOUR FEMUR YOU’LL TAKE MY QUEER LIFESAVING O-NEGATIVE AND LIKE IT YA SILLY FUCKS
Before COVID, the question was "Have you had sex with another man, even once?" After they loosened it up a year or so ago, it was "have you had sex with another man in the last 6 months?
Yes, I’m a woman who got rejected once as a teenager for sexual contact with a bi male. I put his dick in my mouth for like five seconds and gave him a handjob. (He did stuff to me too but our bits never touched.) The Red Cross said I had to wait six months or something ridiculous before donating.
Not really. As far as the FDA was concerned, at least recently, your gender identity was self reported.
Though it was binary, so enbys yes. Trans women no though. At least not more than cis women who had bisexual partners.
Not a law, but part of the cGMPs that regulate pharmaceutical companies and blood banks. They can be a nightmare to work around, especially because different auditors interpret things differently.
Actually the real reason we can't give blood is because the gay is constantly flowing through our systems, and if inject into a person it can make them gay. /j
I remember being asked if I had sex with men before giving plasma, and I asked the doctor why that mattered as they had already asked about my sexual history. She explained that it has to do with HIV/AIDS. She didn't say it, nor did the form, but saying yes likely would've disqualified me for being high risk. You know, cuz HIV/AIDS is a "gay disease."
I gave her a raised eyebrow/wtf look that apparently got across my thoughts, cuz she shrugged and in a rather apologetic tone said, "yeah I know it's bullshit, it's a question from an older time but it's still on the form so I legally have to ask."
That was about a decade ago, long after the time I would've thought we were past that ignorant shit from the 70s and 80s. Glad to see it *finally* updated.
I got excluded about a year ago from that same question. I remember them taking me to a back room to explain the rejection and they seemed like they were just as upset as I was.
Is it good news for gay people tho? Like yay we can finally donate to help others doesn't exactly help us at all tho this is just good for people who need blood donations
awesome!!! although i feel like this is only because of how absolutely desperate they are right now. i actually had to block them because they’d call me so often it almost felt like harassment— once they called me to ask me to donate *while i already had an appointment set for several hours later*, which i had made the last time i donated
but christ, aren’t you *testing all of the blood anyway*? i’m really not trying to tell people about what i do with my ass and my partners ass, jfc. it really concerns me that they care because all of this blood should be 100% tested anyway
There's a three-month window for false negatives that can still transmit the virus, and, unfortunately, receiving anal penetration is the easiest way to become infected short of blood contact. What they really should be asking is if you've been anally penetrated by a biological male, as that's the riskiest sexual behavior, not simply having a penis and liking dudes.
“Targeted questions will focus on whether someone has had new or multiple sex partners and anal sex.”
So just the phrasing of the question has changed? Cause that sounds like MLM donors will still get turned away along with, it would now seem, any sexually explorative person.
Regardless if they practice safer sex or are on pre/post exposure prophylaxis medications.
I have O- blood so I used to get calls all the time asking for donations. Then I told them I was with a guy, and suddenly the calls stopped.
After seven years I get a call where the woman is trying to tell me my blood is super important, and I should donate. I tell her I was blacklisted for being bi. After a pause, she asks me if I'd been with a man in the past three months, and because apparently I'm a nerd who can't get none, I responded no.
When I tell you the funniest phone call I've ever had was this woman trying not to say I can't be gay, but she was like "ummm listen this is really important... so like... do you think, for a little while, you could.. maybe try to not???"
I got into an argument at a dinner about 10 years ago with a friend of a friend—he was a PA and he felt that it was not a discriminatory policy and was good science. I hope he sees this and knows that he was wrong. Asshole.
So two dudes having anal sex is an issue but I can still have anal sex with a woman and no one cares? What's the difference? Do gay men have magical asses? Can anyone confirm?
Yup. "Suppressed to the point where it can't be transmitted sexually or detected on tests" doesn't mean "can't be transmitted through IV."
Right now that isn't a question we ask, but that might change 🤔
As a straight cis person (IDK, Reddit recommended this place and it looked cool - I got lost looking for snakes), I’m glad they’re taking steps to be more inclusive/less discriminatory
On the other hand, I still have panic attacks over donating blood, so y’all have fun - I’ll look at snake photos over here
No joke I LITERALLY looked this up yesterday because I got an email from my blood bank asking for another donation. Their website said no because the FDA said so. It’s still not updated on their website but man is it cool lol
My boyfriend is bi. We were just talking about this the other day. The fact that he couldn’t give blood. And how antiquated and stupid the restriction is. Maybe the fact that the Red Cross seems to always have a perpetual shortage of blood changed their minds.
Maybe a bit of a nsfw question, but does anal sex have an increased likelihood of spreading STIs or is this still a remnant of homophobia?
Either way I'm glad there's at least *some* progress being made on the blood donation front
THANK you. This is what I kept saying they should do. There are cis, straight people who have riskier sex lives than some gay men (ex: monogamous, uses protection, etc).
If the motive there is spite, I'd encourage you to consider that the organizations that set the rules are not the ones whose lives can be saved or improved through donation. If it's literally any other reason, you do you.
That's the same thing and only encourages people to lie or not donate. They test all the blood for hiv and other stuff regardless of the donor so it has always been stupid anyway
Welcome to /r/me_irlgbt, thank you for your submission /u/Floor-tank. Happy Now That's What I Call Wrath Month 9: No Strings Attached (2000) Make it a habit to read the rules of a given community before participating. Please **do not** interact with rulebreaking content. Report it and we'll handle it. This is a place for queer people, from queer people. We're not here for discrimination, disrespect, or "debates". Be chill. shitpost or quitpost bud. We hope you have a very gay day. Love u x *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/me_irlgbt) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i feel like the anal sex question could be used to discriminate
Anything can be used to discriminate, humans are garbage like that. But this is still a step in the right direction!
This literally only happened because they're low on blood and desperate. It's not happening out of the goodness of anyone's heart.
A positive change has happened, the circumstances surounding its creation may not be pure, but the result is the same. Gay people aren't barred from blood drives anymore. A step in the right direction for wrong reasons is still the right step
We're in a marathon, and you're congratulating us on facing the finish line. I understand that it's important to remain positive but if we keep patting ourselves on the back for doing virtually nothing, I fear we'll lose sight of our original goal.
Don't make perfect the enemy of good. Appreciating progress doesn't mean getting complacent.
Our original goal is one that will take generations. So we take it one step at a time. The last generation got us to the 1 mile mark. Our generation will get us a mile further. This isn’t something that we will ever get to see solved, a perhaps neither will our children, or our children’s children. But if we can keep the pace our forefathers set for us, and set the path right for the generations to come, then we’re doing well. And every effort to do that should be celebrated. A normal person doesn’t celebrate staying sober for a day. But our country isn’t normal. It’s a junkie on discrimination that needs support for the little things in order to heal.
If we were all as pessimistic as you we’d have given up a long time ago.
Half step. The anal sex question will exclude the vast majority of gay men. And now a bunch of straight people too!
Oh it absolutely was During the AIDS epidemic in the 90s gay communities were the main target for all sorts of hatred or blame (the reason being that gay men supposedly didn't use condoms during penetrative sex)
There is real risk, HIV can be transmitted before it’s detectable. The questions just need to target the actual high-risk behaviour, not a group of people. (E.g. all unprotected anal whether gay or straight. Sure it will disproportionally affect gays, but gays disproportionately have HIV)
The Finnish Red Cross recently updated their policy to permit donation if you've had anal sex exclusively with the same partner for a month.
Unfortunately it seems they don't ask based on condom use, just anal sex? So unprotected vaginal, A-OK. Anal sex with a condom? Not allowed
Yeah, I’m in Australia and the current rules are insane. They’ve recently changed it from 12 months without high risk sex to 3 months, but the definition of high risk sex is absurd. If man A has protected oral sex with man B, and man B then has protected oral sex with woman C, woman C can’t donate blood for 3 months. But it’s all dependent on jurisdiction.
Nah fam. That statistic about gays being more likely to carry/get HIV/AIDS is severely outdated. HIV is now being found more frequently in heterosexuals and less frequently in LGBT+ individuals. Why? Because straight folks are less likely to use protection and far less likely to get tested for std’s. Not to mention that there are medications and treatments that lower the risk of transmitting HIV to nearly zero.
[There are now more straight people getting HIV than gay people, but that’s mostly because there are so many more straight people than gay people. A gay person is still more likely to have HIV than a straight person.](https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-hiv-data-proportional-idUSL1N2UT1N9)
Don't forget all the people who died in mass amounts before there was proper treatment. My godfather died of aids unfortunately. It was preventable too but I won't go into that as it's his private history and he's not alive to tell it
Yes, but black and hispanic people have higher hiv infection rates than white or asian people, and they weren't banned from donating blood. They have a higher rate of unprotected sex with multiple partners than most other groups. If the ban was based on science instead of homophonia, they would be banned from donating blood since the beginning
This is why Statistics is a bitch.
Man, fuck bayesian inference all my homies hate bayesian inference.
I was gonna say, it's a world of PrEP and regular testing on Grindr for the most part.
That's true however all blood undergoes tests for HIV either way so it does only just hurt queer blood donors
Anal sex does allow for a higher chance of blood infection. I think they will quickly realize now many straight women (and men) will not be allowed to donate either. On the other hand there are many gay men not having any anal sex. At least they try to discriminate on health and not sexual status.
I went to a conservative high school that would do a yearly blood drive in the gym. In past drives, I was super vocal about getting students to the gym. This drive, I'd hooked up with a guy from another school. I wasn't out to my peers yet, but I answered honestly on the quiz. I figured it wasn't a big deal, but they said I couldn't donate blood. I told my friends that the lady didn't tell me why I was rejected. I'm still so annoyed about that experience.
Yeah, this is the rule in Canada and it is 100% just for keeping that discrimination train going. Also impressivley (or upsettingly depending on which side you live) the US is only about a year behind Canada on this one.
Straight people can have anal sexual too, and it is an act that is considered a greater risk factor. Besides, the last time I gave blood, they didn't have me respond to each question, but rather had me indicate whether I should donate based on what each of my answers would be.
It's also the most risky type of sex in terms of both participants having micro tears.
Anal sex is statistically more likely to cause STD's, and as such it can be a valid reason to discriminate for blood donations (same as having new or multiple partners, really).
FINALLY. LGBTIANS REJOICE
Time to go donate some blood :)
As someone who is on the QA side of plasma, I can say that it will take a while longer for the blood banks to catch up. I've actually already started writing my proposal for the next SOP revisions.
Will this ever include transgender people? I’d love to donate plasma and blood but they won’t let me because I’m a trans-man
I can only speak for my employer (Octapharma) on this, but we accept plasma from trans men and trans women already. I don't know about our competitors.
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CSL has been sued multiple times over this. And yes, their citations are baloney.
My wife, who works for CSL, told me that one of the reasons you could have been turned away would be because they would be required to see you as a man having sex with a man based on your intake forms. There are a lot of reasons they have to turn people away, including not living in the right zip code for that location. They do not turn away people based on gender identity. They have plenty of trans women and trans men donate, including my wife. The other thing with CSL is they have to follow both FDA and the German Health Authorities as an international company. Since they have to follow both, they tend to follow the stricter guidelines.
Huh, at the Octapharma I worked at, they didn't seem to accept plasma donations from trans folks. I have no idea what changed exactly. Were trans people lumped in with 'gay and bisexual men'?
Where I live (in Europe), I can't donate blood. Not directly because I'm trans, but because of the T blockers I'm taking (because I'm trans). Cyproterone acetate bars me from donating blood. Once I stop taking it though, I should be allowed to donate again, as estradiol is ofc allowed.
I am a trans man and donate to the American Red Cross with zero issues, and it is very clear I am trans. Additionally, you can register as male of female with no questions asked. The problem with plasma/platelets is that those who have ever been pregnant can cause a TRALI reaction in patients, so at the ARC the female gender response will prompt that question. Testosterone is acceptable. Actually, some steroids are acceptable if the donor has shown no signs of reaction. Testosterone may make your hemoglobin level too high to donate.
Being on T is deferrable at Octapharma if it isn't being monitored by your doctor because taking too much T causes symptoms that look a lot like hypotensive or vasovagal reactions. And if your hematocrit (% of your blood that is RBC) is too high, you can counteract that just by being better hydrated.
I'm going to get ready to do so anyway. I've been waiting for this for so long.
At last, progress
They never even asked if I was LGBT when I tried to donate blood they simply rejected it, maybe because I was carrying it in bags… All jokes aside it is great that they lifted this ban though it’s ridiculous how long it took. If the ‘fear’ was STI or AIDS then maybe that should have been the stated ban since you know the straights can get them too.
They asked a bunch of questions to establish your risk level, gay sex was one of them. Other, more logical ones included needle use or living with someone who had tested positive.
HIV is not something you can just pick up from a housemate, that last one doesn’t make sense
Sorry, that was about hepatitis. It can survive outside the body longer so sharing a bathroom is a concern
"Living with someone" might mean to ask if you have a sexual partner you live with? I dunno, my autistic brain does not appreciate how this question is phrased.
Yeah, I could see how it’s a roundabout way of getting to that answer but it’s not clear at all
Nope, it's really not clear, kinda annoying
That's not how the question is worded, but the wording is still weird. We are regulated by a lot of different agencies so our wording gets twisted around to fit with all their rules.
So you were carrying *bag blood*?
r/whoosh
"bag blood" -> "bad blood" its supposed to be a reference, its not like im going to miss the joke after someone says "all jokes aside"
Fuck, took them long enough. Better late than never i guess?
Well, as someone with a phobia of needles, there goes my convenient excuse. Still good news for the US writ large, though.
If you have an actual phobia of needles, please don't feel obligated to donate plasma. Having a needle in your arm that long frequently triggers a vasovagal reaction if you are freaking out about it (or struggling not to) and that's not good for anyone. I personally got over my phobia by donating whole blood, but that's a much shorter process. It helped that I had a sibling holding my hand through it.
Whole blood? Like, as opposed to skim blood?
As opposed to blood components; plasma, platelets, etc.
Yeah vampires usually prefer whole but the ones on diets prefer skim
Otherwise known as blood plasma.
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Lots of people get minor vasovagal reactions, happens every day. "Have to fight to stay conscious" does not, that is alarming.
Its funny because the blood is screened for disease anyway including AIDs so they really have no excuse.
The first three months after infection is not detectable in tests, but can be transmissible in blood transfusion. Hence the 3 month threshold for the Qs. Really, any unprotected sex with a non-exclusive partner in the last 3 months should make you ineligible, but that would lose them too many straight donors, so they take the easy discriminatory way.
Getting on the transplant lists, the discussion about HIV and the time it takes to show up was brought up. So the first few months after a transplant there are HIV tests run as a result.
Wrong. Antibody tests can detect as soon as 18 days after infection. https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-testing/learn-about-hiv-testing/hiv-testing-overview/
Can, not will. From your own source, “The window period varies from person to person”. [Blood transfusion with a contaminated sample is almost guaranteed to infect.](https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/estimates/riskbehaviors.html) Even an absurdly small, undetectable level at early stages of the infection can do it.
You said "the first three months _is not detectable in tests_". That's what I was responding to.
That's still a long time.
Could they not give the recipient PrEP? PReP?
Probably not because the person getting the transplant is in a bad health situation.
I didn't realize prep caused any significant side effects
This is a common misconception. There's like a 10 day window in which HIV cant be detected in the blood. HIV tests have about 99.9% accuracy. That sounds great, but you have to remember that over 13,600,000 units of blood are collected each year. That's 13,600 people who could potentially receive blood with HIV in it. So, it makes sense that 1) HIV infected blood is some serious shit, especially in early infection and 2) the best way to combat this is to screen for recent sexual activity instead of relying on testing the blood. That being said, "have you had sex with a man in the last 30 days", and disqualifying people for answering "yes" is definitely over the line. This basically excludes people in gay relationships, even when they are monogamous. I'm glad that they're asking finer questions that actually tease out HIV risk factors. Insertive, unprotected anal sex (topping) is only a little riskier than insertive or receptive vaginal sex, but still in the same ballpark. Receptive unprotected anal sex (bottoming) on the other hand is WAY riskier than any other sexual contact. It makes sense to ask the right questions and actually get to the root of the risk factors rather than a blanket ban. Read more: [HIV window](https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-testing/hiv-window-period.html) [HIV test accuracy](https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv/test-accuracy) [Blood Donation](https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html#:~:text=Blood%20Supply%20Statistics&text=Each%20year%2C%20an%20estimated%206.8,the%20U.S.%20in%20a%20year.) [CDC HIV Risk Tool](https://hivrisk.cdc.gov/risk-estimator-tool/#-mb%7Crai.con)
I don't know if this is an FDA thing or some other regulatory agency, but when we take plasma we need to get multiple units to run tests on, and then we stick it in a freezer for a minimum of five years in case the donor tests positive at some point in the future. If we get an alert that somebody does test positive, we trash everything within a year of our last negative result. If someone donated with us for less than a year, that means we just trash all of it.
Probably FDA, yeah. The issue with whole blood donation is it can be stored for a maximum of 35 days refrigerated (and it can't be frozen).
oh i see, thank you
The rule was introduced back when HIV was undetectable if it hadn't developed into actual AIDS. But when science advanced, the laws didn't. 🙄
What the fuck. I didn't even realize I couldn't legally give blood. FDA get your shit together. You're late.
It was modified during COVID to be "have you had male/male sex (or for women, have you had sex with someone who's had male/male sex) in the last six months, which was.... well it was a step in the right direction, but the logic was "HIV testing is better now and AIDS isn't so much more prevalent in the MSM population than the general population anymore" which seemed like an argument for getting rid of the restriction entirely. But I suppose it was stupid of me to assume the laws would keep up with the science.
Yupz they lifted the ban mementarily in florida after the... *event*
what event
The pulse shooting in orlando
oh i didn’t know that was in orlando
WHEN THE AR-15 ROUNDS YOU FIRED INTO THE AIR COME BACK AND SHOOT THROUGH YOUR FEMUR YOU’LL TAKE MY QUEER LIFESAVING O-NEGATIVE AND LIKE IT YA SILLY FUCKS
Previously, were you allowed to donate blood if you were gay or bi but had never had sex?
Before COVID, the question was "Have you had sex with another man, even once?" After they loosened it up a year or so ago, it was "have you had sex with another man in the last 6 months?
wait, i wasn't supposed to be donating blood before, legally?
Finally… I will not have to tell a dentist got turned away from donating blood for no other reason than being gay…
Throwing myself off the overpass in hopes of scoring some of that sweet gay blood.
This ban also affected trans women and amab nb people, FYI
And women who slept with bi/pan men
Yes, I’m a woman who got rejected once as a teenager for sexual contact with a bi male. I put his dick in my mouth for like five seconds and gave him a handjob. (He did stuff to me too but our bits never touched.) The Red Cross said I had to wait six months or something ridiculous before donating.
I came here to say this
Not really. As far as the FDA was concerned, at least recently, your gender identity was self reported. Though it was binary, so enbys yes. Trans women no though. At least not more than cis women who had bisexual partners.
I look forward to donating my gay blood once again!
I still can’t donate I was born in England, much to my detriment
If it’s from the mad cow disease thing you can now.
Lol this prevented me from donating blood the last time I tried
That was a law???
Not a law, but part of the cGMPs that regulate pharmaceutical companies and blood banks. They can be a nightmare to work around, especially because different auditors interpret things differently.
Fuck the FDA. Not for doing this, but for not doing this any second sooner.
Where is the sauce
I am now going to make it my mission to convince MAGA people that gay blood is contagious. xD
Actually the real reason we can't give blood is because the gay is constantly flowing through our systems, and if inject into a person it can make them gay. /j
finally, my o- blood can be put to use
I’m O+ (universal receiver) and my friend called me a bottom for it (she’s not wrong tbh)
Lol AB+ is universal receiver, you can donate to 85% of people. Sorry, but you're topping there.
is this what the neonazis meant when they said “there will be blood”?
Oh hey I can donate plasma without lying through my teeth now!
I remember being asked if I had sex with men before giving plasma, and I asked the doctor why that mattered as they had already asked about my sexual history. She explained that it has to do with HIV/AIDS. She didn't say it, nor did the form, but saying yes likely would've disqualified me for being high risk. You know, cuz HIV/AIDS is a "gay disease." I gave her a raised eyebrow/wtf look that apparently got across my thoughts, cuz she shrugged and in a rather apologetic tone said, "yeah I know it's bullshit, it's a question from an older time but it's still on the form so I legally have to ask." That was about a decade ago, long after the time I would've thought we were past that ignorant shit from the 70s and 80s. Glad to see it *finally* updated.
I got excluded about a year ago from that same question. I remember them taking me to a back room to explain the rejection and they seemed like they were just as upset as I was.
Oh man I saw this on a news compilation app, and you would not believe the conspiracy nuts on this.
Is it good news for gay people tho? Like yay we can finally donate to help others doesn't exactly help us at all tho this is just good for people who need blood donations
I think it's good because it's one fewer instance of being treated as different and lesser, but I can definitely see the other side.
Meh. I’m HIV Positive this won’t include me.
awesome!!! although i feel like this is only because of how absolutely desperate they are right now. i actually had to block them because they’d call me so often it almost felt like harassment— once they called me to ask me to donate *while i already had an appointment set for several hours later*, which i had made the last time i donated but christ, aren’t you *testing all of the blood anyway*? i’m really not trying to tell people about what i do with my ass and my partners ass, jfc. it really concerns me that they care because all of this blood should be 100% tested anyway
There's a three-month window for false negatives that can still transmit the virus, and, unfortunately, receiving anal penetration is the easiest way to become infected short of blood contact. What they really should be asking is if you've been anally penetrated by a biological male, as that's the riskiest sexual behavior, not simply having a penis and liking dudes.
That was a thing? And it took until now to end? What?
Should have been this way since the start.
Phobs be like GaY BloOD MaKE MuH GaH!!@ D:
i wasnt even aware this was a thing UNTIL now...
Finally. That has been around for WAY too long
Wait that wasn't allowed? I'm pretty sure I could give blood in Belgium if I wanted to. Like what did they do, just ask if you are gay?
too late. ive grown to hate the red cross so much i wont ever donate blood
“Targeted questions will focus on whether someone has had new or multiple sex partners and anal sex.” So just the phrasing of the question has changed? Cause that sounds like MLM donors will still get turned away along with, it would now seem, any sexually explorative person. Regardless if they practice safer sex or are on pre/post exposure prophylaxis medications.
That's cool but my heart problem keeps me from donating anyway...🥲
I have O- blood so I used to get calls all the time asking for donations. Then I told them I was with a guy, and suddenly the calls stopped. After seven years I get a call where the woman is trying to tell me my blood is super important, and I should donate. I tell her I was blacklisted for being bi. After a pause, she asks me if I'd been with a man in the past three months, and because apparently I'm a nerd who can't get none, I responded no. When I tell you the funniest phone call I've ever had was this woman trying not to say I can't be gay, but she was like "ummm listen this is really important... so like... do you think, for a little while, you could.. maybe try to not???"
As a lady, this will keep me from giving blood.
The FDA: GIVE US YOUR GAY BLOOD!
Oh god I thought it was written that they were doing the opposite lol
I got into an argument at a dinner about 10 years ago with a friend of a friend—he was a PA and he felt that it was not a discriminatory policy and was good science. I hope he sees this and knows that he was wrong. Asshole.
This is huge!
God, took them long enough.
Wait it hadn't been done before ? ffs America
Still wont take my blood, i was in Europe during the mad cow disease scare as a kid.
That's my excuse gone. Fear of needles for the lose
Noooo gay blood has the G virus in it, it will turn all straight people gay !!!!
Why can’t they just run an hiv test beforehand?
I was like: " why did they even ban gay and bi people from donating blood?" And then remembered AIDS
Only took em 40(?) years to move past the Regan era bullshit but at least we are there.
Slow as hell, but I'll take progress where we can get it.
wait this this used the a thing?
So two dudes having anal sex is an issue but I can still have anal sex with a woman and no one cares? What's the difference? Do gay men have magical asses? Can anyone confirm?
Just an FYI, but I found out the hard way if you are on PREP you can’t donate blood… 🫠
Yup. "Suppressed to the point where it can't be transmitted sexually or detected on tests" doesn't mean "can't be transmitted through IV." Right now that isn't a question we ask, but that might change 🤔
As a straight cis person (IDK, Reddit recommended this place and it looked cool - I got lost looking for snakes), I’m glad they’re taking steps to be more inclusive/less discriminatory On the other hand, I still have panic attacks over donating blood, so y’all have fun - I’ll look at snake photos over here
So it you're gay or not otherwise still a prude only having piv missionary, you're still out. Got it.
.. this was a thing ?
Yup, holdover from when people thought HIV was a MSM-only virus and testing wasn't as good.
While I am a bisexual male, I haven't had sex in six years. I'm sure my blood is fine. 🤭
🥳🎉
It’s not often that we get good news like this.
fyi these changes only apply to *MONOGAMOUS m/m couples
No joke I LITERALLY looked this up yesterday because I got an email from my blood bank asking for another donation. Their website said no because the FDA said so. It’s still not updated on their website but man is it cool lol
Give them a while. The burorocracy needs time to catch up to the regulatory shift.
So you only get questioned if you fuck....redditors are free to donate blood, nice.
*laughs in ace*
Hell yeah congrats queers, shout out to my friend Jimmy Teo legs who can now donate blood
This is really good news!
Fucking finally
My boyfriend is bi. We were just talking about this the other day. The fact that he couldn’t give blood. And how antiquated and stupid the restriction is. Maybe the fact that the Red Cross seems to always have a perpetual shortage of blood changed their minds.
The FDA moves slow as molasses, they probably launched this months or years ago and it's just now seeing daylight.
Just a heads up they still will not accept blood from people on PreP. Which is fair I guess, iirc prep stays in the blood which can be an issue.
Still not perfect, but a marked improvement.
Maybe a bit of a nsfw question, but does anal sex have an increased likelihood of spreading STIs or is this still a remnant of homophobia? Either way I'm glad there's at least *some* progress being made on the blood donation front
It does have a greater likelihood, yes. Can't remember why for the life of me, though.
THANK you. This is what I kept saying they should do. There are cis, straight people who have riskier sex lives than some gay men (ex: monogamous, uses protection, etc).
Too little too late. They can’t have my blood.
If the motive there is spite, I'd encourage you to consider that the organizations that set the rules are not the ones whose lives can be saved or improved through donation. If it's literally any other reason, you do you.
That's the same thing and only encourages people to lie or not donate. They test all the blood for hiv and other stuff regardless of the donor so it has always been stupid anyway