Red Cross Blood Donations are Down Dramatically - Do YOU Donate Blood?

I too, haven't donated in years, because of the resistance of gay men donating blood.

However, I am scheduled to donate blood on 1/29. I'm sure their questionnaire will be intrusive (and a tad homophobic). If I feel that to be the case, I'm just walking out with my O+ supply intact and they can fuck right off.

I still am bitter too....however, there is an evolution and we need to reward those who change their thoughts/policies.

Now, I need to listen to what I wrote.

Adding to R1, if the blood supply is down, it's their own dam fault. They keep precluding entire swaths of the population from donating and then cry about dwindling supplies. I'm quite certain donated blood goes through some testing before it's actually used.

"I'm still bitter about my blood not being good enough years ago as a gay dude."

Yeh because today's 8 yr old needing blood had some part in that.

The bottom line is they still won't take blood from gay men who had sex in the last six months. Different sites word it differently , but the end result is the same. I feel for R4's innocent 8-year-old, but just as this situation is not his fault, it's not ours either.

The questionnaire is (intentionally?) vague. Have you had sex with a man in the past 6 months. I'm sure they mean anal sex, so why not just say that? Not all gay sex is penetrative.

I gave blood about a month ago on the spur of the moment at the mall during a blood drive. The questionnaire is very long and detailed (Have I ever been to the Channel Islands??), and they looked for track marks on my arms at least twice, but when it was over I was really glad I did it.

Before you go, read up on the double blood donation, in which they take more blood from you and give you back everything but the red blood cells. That's what I did, and it a bit much, given that I had to go to the gym the next day -- def. not something to do when you have a lot planned. And R5, below are the rules: you shouldn't donate if you have had new or multiple partners and had anal sex in the past 3 months.

I tried donating during a high school-sponsored blood drive in my school gym in 1998. My parents were always devout contributors and I was happy to continue the tradition. Then I filled out the questionnaire...about 25 questions related to gay sex. I felt so much shame after the technician asked me to step aside. As the years went on, I've had a similar attitude as R1, R2, R3, and R5.

I do. Please forgive me if I've told this story here before, but it's very important to me. Yes, TL;DR. But try anyway.

Just like most of you gentlemen, I was forbidden from donating blood, but for a different reason: when I was stationed in West Germany in the late 70s, I shot heroin. And IV illegal drug users were not allowed to donate blood.

I got clean/sober in 1981, went to meetings for 22 years, stopped going when I realized that I didn't even believe what they preached there, but I stayed clean. Still clean after 42 years (43 in February).

When I was in my 20s, working for the state government, they used to have blood drives. Everyone who donated got a free T-shirt and the rest of the day off. And I couldn't donate because I'd been a junkie. I knew from my Army dogtags that I have O negative blood (the universal donor), and by rights they should be crying for my blood, but I was never allowed to be a donor or get that time off.

This upset me greatly over the years (long after I left that job to go to college), because, as time went on, it was the only remaining reminder of my addiction and the person I used to be. So every now and then, I would approach a bloodmobile and ask them if I was still prohibited from donating, and yes, I still was.

Finally, two (more? IDR) years ago, they changed the requirements, and I was finally allowed to donate. I hadn't been that proud of myself for a very long time. I was (almost) a "normal" person! And since I had had two serious motorcycle accidents where I had an IV for over a week, it was very easy for me to donate the "double red" cells, which takes longer than a regular donation, and makes my blood available for immediate use.

I donate as soon as they call me and tell me I'm eligible to do so. I have a collection of donation T-shirts I'm very proud of and other accoutrements I've earned. I always encourage people to donate. I know you guys have reasons to be angry -- I was too! -- but as a biker (my pitch to other bikers) I feel an obligation to donate. Some day I may need blood -- and you might too.

One more interesting fact: as someone with O neg blood, I am only able to receive O neg blood as well. Another good reason to donate. Please get out there and do it! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!

I will spite all you desperate children and potentially fellow gays no matter what. Mwa ha ha!

R9, that was a lovely story - thanks for sharing a challenging part of your life and the later celebration.

I always understood the Red Cross ban on gay men donating... if just donation is HIV positive and somehow is not found/discarded and enters the blood supply infecting another person? Oh man, the news would have a fiel day.

I donated until the ban was put in place. Guess I could look into it again...

I don’t donate because I’m anemic and neutropenic (low in one of the white blood cells)

I do donate, OP, thanks for asking

If porn and social media, in general, is to be believed, plenty of hetero couples are engaging in anal sex. Are they being asked the same questions?

Why hasn't some SJW taken this up as a cause? LOL

I don't personally but I can think of many I'd like to volunteer. Take as much as you need!

I donate regularly. My advise to anyone doing so is drink at least one litre of water on the day prior to your donation, and have a substantial savoury meal in the three hours before your appointment. If you are donating in the morning drink a lot of water the day before. I didn't know any of this for years, and following this advice has made the process much more pleasant for me.

I used to regularly until I went on finasteride and Accutane, both of which are big no nos for blood donors.

I do donate regularly, but I can tell you that the questions are really fucked up due to Trans activism. The questions are all supposed to be answered based on the gender that one “identifies” as. So FTM who have a uterus are not asked any questions about pregnancy as long as they state they identify as male. Ditto for MTF who have anal sex with men…they do not have to answer any questions about gay sex because they are “female”. Tell me that’s not fucked up.

R15 troll

R15 “lol”

Idiotic

I donated today

The donation center closed down in my county. You have to drive a distance. Not convenient.

The American Red Cross is awful. They make a lot of money from blood and have fought efforts to make the blood supply safer. You may as well gpo to some profit making blood bank.

No OP, but I'm going to start selling my plasma. I need some pocket change right now.

Never to the Red Cross, ever but to another blood for profit group

Has anyone sold plasma before? How much do you make off it?

R12 - how did you understand the ban on gay men donating blood?

In the 80's - ok, sure. But don't tell me they don't test all the blood donated.

As if HIV+ men were intentionally infecting the supply.

I found all of the questions offensive and unnecessary and like many posters above, I'm still bitter about being banned for decades.

R7, I wonder why they'd want to know if you've visited the Channel Island (wtf?).

They ask EVERYONE the same questions. “Sex” is also defined on the questionnaire. It really HAS been ages since some of you all donated.

They ask about the Channel Islands and Great Britain because of mad cow back in the 90s. They also ask about some other places, too, for the same reason. You will get deferred for that, too.

They do ask everything. If you’ve EVER been pregnant- no matter HOW you identify yourself. If you’ve had malaria, taken certain drugs (about a page of them), had a dura matter (brain tissue) transplant (no, but I know people who sure NEED a brain transplant). Just crazy stuff.

Honestly, after reading all of the questions, I feel like the boringest bore who ever bored.

I’m working on my fourth gallon. I donate because I can. My dad donated 8 gallons over his lifetime. I have my donation credited to the hospital where he had his heart surgery (it was a different city/blood bank than where he usually donated).

One of my coworkers was in the same hospital for dialysis, so I just keep crediting that hospital or the Shriners children’s hospital/burn center.

Blood is something we haven’t figured out how to bake synthetically yet.

R29, it’s usually due to diseases that were prevalent in certain areas during specific years. The Channel Island questions have to do with Mad Cow Disease.

I'm not good with medical stuff in general, especially needles. The one time I tried to donate they turned me down as there was too much Jack Daniels in my blood - I had tried to fortify myself with most of a 40 ounce bottle before going in

I can’t because I’m taking Neotigason for a mild case of psoriasis. I’m. It supposed to father kids for two years after I finish up this drug either, but that’s a moot point.

The CEO of the American Red Cross is paid something like $700K, meanwhile they actually sell your blood donations to hospitals. I don't see them as needing my help.

I was on the island of Jersey for 8 hours on a cruise once and had fish and chips for lunch. Disqualified?

I'm guessing the problem is the blood drives; I tried to sign up recently because the RC was hounding the hell out of me to donate, but blood drives were between 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. I have to work & I'm not taking off time for that. I recently had an appointment canceled because the appointment was at 3:30 and the blood donation team wanted to be out the door by then. If they want more donations, they have to make it easier for working people.

R? Maybe you can check to see if they have bloodmobiles in your area. Here in FL, they stage over the weekends as well as during the week.

The Red Cross doesn't take donations in FL (odd, I know), so I donate to an organization called "LifeSouth." Another group, One Blood, has "The Big Red Bus" bloodmobiles, and they sometimes co-ordinate with the Red Cross; they do sell your blood. The LifeSouth people told me not to donate to them, because their bloodmobiles are trying to steal all the LifeSouth bloodmobile staging areas. So I don't.

Sorry -- R36.

At the plasma vampire closest to my home, you earn $123 the first donation, then $75 each visit after that.

The plasma vampires closer to the "nicer" zip codes, 1st visit is $75, subsequent donations $50.

Sooooo....downmarket hood plasma vampire it is!

I thought I could walk into any hospital and say, “hit me.”

You used to be able to do that, r40. Or show up to your local blood bank and walk in, anyway.

Now, you have to make an appointment, fill out your questionnaire on line BEFORE you go in then go in and wait.

I agree that the donation hours suck for anyone working dayshift. I only donate so much because I’ve been working nights for 13 years. Companies used to give you time off to donate and host blood drives, but they don’t do that anymore. Gotta make sure you’re chained to that oar every second of every day.

The period of time from being infected until your blood turns pos for HIV or syphilis. Could be days weeks or months. If you donate during this time period your blood will show as uninfected.

I am not overly worried about trump or Mike Johnson and gay rights. Lots of bluster and talk.

But if it ever looks like gay men are putting the population at risk or the blood supply at risk again all bets are off. Between HIV and syphilis and Monkeypox etc there is not a lot of good will left on the particular issue,

And if this happens during a time of Biden that’s one thing if it happens during the reign or of the Mike Johnson’s it’s quite another.

This infectious disease and putting the majority at risk would be a major game changer as far as the future. And as far as infectious disease such as hiv and syphilis etc gay men, IV drug users, those who peddle sex for drugs are most at risk.

R3 Ding Ding Ding, fuck the Red Cross

R42 - source?

And if true, the same could be said of any communicable or sexual disease. Yet gay men were treated as lepers and particularly unwanted donors.

They STILL are. Isn't it that we can't have ANY sex for the past 6 months in order to donate?

Ridiculous. And straight people aren't held to the same standard.

They didn’t want me then, so I won’t help now! 😤

No, and I should because I’m B-, which is rare.

No I don't donate because in my country (Australia) gays are banned from donating blood unless we meet all sorts of far-fetched and discriminatory criteria which is not applied to straight people.

It really pisses me off. Most straight people don't know about it and when they ask you to donate blood and I explain to them why I can't they are also really pissed off about it.

The Red Cross has proven time and time again they are a scam.

You need to study more R46

[quote]But if it ever looks like gay men are putting the population at risk or the blood supply at risk again all bets are off.

I don't like it but I understand what R42 is saying. As much as I don't like hearing it - I think what R42 saying is true. I guess these restrictions are for the best because it ultimately protects us because almost no gay people can/would donate. But it still fucking sucks.

MSM who are in a strictly one on one no outside sex relationship can donate with no wait. That is the good news . There are no doubt lots of men on DL that qualify? Some for sure and I have read their posts here.

You can’t have anal sex with a “new partner “ within the past 3 months and donate. 3 months the outside incubation period where a person can be infected and their blood show negative.

You can’t have HIV.

You can’t be on PrEP.

Right there you are going to see a whole lot of msm unable to donate. In fact how many men have anal sex with strangers, don’t have hiv, and are not on PrEP? There should not be any.

The end of gay rights as we know it and the start of the real right wing attacks so many are afraid of will come with this headline similar to this in the advocate or the NYT

“Gay sex a threat to the blood supply once again”

Or. Something to do with children now at risk from gay men and infections.

And if you think the risk of infectious disease and msm sex compared to lesbian sex or straight sex (not including street walkers and IV drug addicts) is remotely close you are so badly misinformed.

FUCK them. Why give blood when they don't want it?

[quote]MSM who are in a strictly one on one no outside sex relationship can donate with no wait.

Not in Australia R51. No gay man who has had oral or anal sex in the past 3 months even if protected can give blood - including those in long term relationships.

There are few more damaged groups in the US than female street walkers those who exchange sex for money or drugs. But what is almost impossible to find, if you read on sites that follow female street walkers and their admirers, is one of those gals that will give a blow job without a condom.

A female street walker who will give a bbbj is about as rare as can be. It’s really really hard to find. It’s asked about a lot by men but finding one is really hard and close to impossible.

You mention condoms on DL and you are called out as an anti sex troll. If you want to complain you might also complain about those men who do not use condoms but get a combination of HIV, syphilis, a few cases of gonorrhea, Hep c, neurosyphilis, Hep B and Monkeypox. And a lot of men have had plenty of all of these

And what do the bb boys on DL say——it’s not a big deal it can all be treated.

For many civilians , lesbians and straights it is a really big deal.

R51 - Don't care if they suddenly woke up and decided almost 40 fucking years later that gay men in relationships can now donate.

Fuck them. They treated ALL gay men like diseased, untrustworthy lepers for most of my life.

They didn't care how offensive it was. From what I can see, no apology was provided either.

I'm now allowed to hold a 40 year bias against the Red Cross because I don't trust THEM.

FWIW the FDA made the call about homosexual blood donations, not the Red Cross. The FDA has had them controlled to an excruciating extent since people got HIV in the 80s.

R24 Where do you see the Red Cross making a profit off of their blood products? They have to charge for the testing and processing.

Did you know the Red Cross maintains large reference labs for people who can only receive blood without certain antigens (beyond the commonly known Rh factor)? They hold large banks of frozen blood to meet those needs. They produce multiple types of blood products and research improving storage, processing, etc.

They are not the Red Cross that wraps you in a blanket while you watch your house burn down and takes donations for hurricanes. Where are people coming up with the scam idea?

Seriously, I do not want to live through another "gay men tainting the blood supply" panic again. They are continually tweaking the criteria to keep it as safe as possible, and the current restrictions are both reasonable and scientifically sound.

1000s of people still get hiv in the US but because our blood supply is very safe they no longer get HIV thru blood donations. At least the risk is very very low. And let’s all hope and pray that never changes. Ever

This is not the times of a gop president and many in Congress that refused to say aids or hiv or gay deaths.

The pols today in the gop will gladly use HIV or STDs as an armed club if it looks like the straight community or the blood supply becomes in danger. They will use it like a welcome Christmas gift.

The moms of America won’t go nuts over sin but they will go nuts if it looks like a chance their children might be in danger.

I used to, one day they told me I have been permanently banned from ever donating again, they claimed I tested positive for hepatitis so I asked my doctor about it and he said there is absolutely nothing the matter with my blood and I don't have hepatitis and that I can donate. I am gay but I wasn't having sex at the time and hadn't for years.

No more blood from me.

I donate as often as I can. Besides, how many good deeds can yo do lying down?

I’m poz!

A work friend used to round up volunteers and just as “any port in a storm” is true, it’s even more true that anything that sounds as well meaning as donating blood is a GREAT excuse to get out of work for a little while.

But then the regulars began to retire or leave for other jobs and our leader both retired and died, so there went that. My veins are hard to find so I just don’t go anymore.

[quote] one day they told me I have been permanently banned from ever donating again

Link?

R60

They did not claim you had a positive test for hepatitis you had a pos test for hepatitis. Now in the real world there are false positives and false negatives in the lab. It happens. Sometimes it’s the lab and sometimes it’s something going on with the donor. But it’s not like they made the pos test up just so you could not donate,

And if you did have a Hep as many men do you rightly would and should not have been able to donate blood.

I wasn't aware that heterosexuals could not become infected with HIV and that ALL their relationships were long-term AND monogamous.

R66

The issue is infectious disease. The sex that occurs is just a side issue to the issue of infectious disease. Gay men msm get by far most of the HIV in the US. They did they do they will in the future. Except for IV drug users, those that depended on the blood supply, street sex workers, HIV has never been a significant straight issue in the U.S.

Just as Monkeypox was not.

And while a relative small percent of the US population it’s gay msm men who dominate in the P&S new infectious syphilis area

Lots of men who have multiple Dx if STD or HIV.

Gay men msm “in general “ have a truly significant STD HIV issue that most straights do not.

It’s not about the sex it’s about the diseases.

R67, I know sweetie. It is just the warped logic.

R68

What warped logic?

I can finally donate again (lived in England during Mad Cow but they’ve relaxed that rule)

R67 Please learn to write.

“I’m not going to help others out of spite.”

Well, R72 - we can't fucking help them because gay males are banned from donating blood. So there's that little hurdle you cunt...

R71

What is it that you do not understand. Or is the snippy comment because you have nothing else to say?

No, this thread has an old queen reconsidering his spite.

I’m clean, the sheets have been dry soooooo long, and I’m a universal donor.

It's good that you're too old to have sex R75.

Too many dates that fizzled because yet another 50 something guy is going through a meth crisis, R76.

R67 Oooh, I thought it was just about sex! You mean...it's actually about STDs????

I used to give blood (many years ago), but I had to stop after a case of Hepatitis A. It then pissed me off that my employer back then (PG) was always hounding us to participate in blood drives, to the point they told me they'd mark my blood to be destroyed, but they still wanted me to donate. I'm a currently celibate gay man, but I think my prior Hepatitis infection still disqualifes me.

I’m doing this Monday and I want to make sure you know i am so much better than you, anonymous internets.

Yes, I do. I have kinda rare blood. B-.

[quote]I’m doing this Monday and I want to make sure you know i am so much better than you, anonymous internets.

Well, go on with your bad self, R80! I do think giving blood is important, but I wish the RC would put as much energy into organizing blood drives with flexible hours rather than calling you up & haranguing you to donate.

HIV tests are same day nowadays. Why can’t they just test the fags first?

R83

Matt was watching you on the Telly just last night. Love and kisses

HIV Syphilis Hep B Hep C and other infectious diseases as well. And as you know gay men have significant issues with all the above that the larger straight and lesbian communities do not.

Can't donate blood over the internet so, no.

Nobody knows if I can donate blood or not since I had babesiosis, which is something akin to malaria.

I am not better than anyone else. I smoked while waiting for a bus transfer and my heart beat was too fast to give blood.

I have to reschedule- hopefully closer yhid time. 45 minute commutes feel like a dare.

You cannot donate, r86.

That’s one of the zillion questions, along with malaria.