Why are gay men barred from donating blood?

Thomas Peterson46 said:That’s just pathetic. Honestly, shouldn't it be changed?👎

No need to change anything. But how can you actually tell if someone is HIV-positive?

Secundo said:Those questions should really be open-ended—something like, "In the last three months, have you been in any high-risk situations for HIV transmission?" followed by a list of potential scenarios.

Look, Secundo, in this day and age, that kind of checklist would turn into a five-pound stack of paperwork—and let's be honest, the American healthcare system isn't exactly swimming in extra cash to deal with that overhead.😬

Anthony Kim18 said:There’s no need to change anything. How can anyone even tell if someone is HIV-positive or not?

Since when did you become an expert on yourself?

Anthony Kim18 said:There’s really no need to change anything. How can anyone even tell if someone is HIV-positive or not?

Well, through testing, which is basically a 100% guarantee...
Besides, have we really regressed to the point of debating blood types and donations?
When these supposedly "perfectly healthy" heterosexuals refuse to donate blood while supplies are critically low, I highly doubt anyone dying on an operating table due to a shortage
would ever hesitate to take a chance on a transfusion from a gay man rather than just passing away..🙄
If we’re being completely honest, many gay people—along with other "conventional" folks
who are promiscuous and frequently carry various illnesses—rarely donate to hospitals anyway. They often struggle with other habits and tend to be quite selfish; in my experience, they don't show up at hospitals not because they're concerned about their health, but because they're simply too self-absorbed to care about anyone else..
Take my point however you like; I don't necessarily intend to get dragged into a long debate.☕

Susan Martin24 said:Regarding exports, specifically 😈

If there’s actually a surplus, why aren't they just freezing it all?

It’s because you can’t just freeze everything—take platelets, for instance, ☕

Permanent Donor Deferral:
1. Individuals who have suffered from or are currently battling severe chronic respiratory or digestive diseases, cardiovascular issues, malignant cancers, liver disease, AIDS, diabetes, or neurological and psychiatric disorders are permanently barred from donating.
2. Permanent deferral also applies to those engaging in high-risk behaviors:
- alcoholics or drug users,
- men who have had sexual contact with other men,
- men or women who have had sexual contact with sex workers,
- individuals with multiple sexual partners,
- anyone who has ever used drugs intravenously,
- people treated for sexually transmitted infections (like syphilis or gonorrhea),
- HIV-positive individuals,
- any sexual partners of the aforementioned groups.

I don’t even get why everyone is losing their minds over the stuff about gay men when I’m sitting here looking at this one rule that is way more idiotic—specifically that very last point.

So, basically, if you want to donate blood, you're permanently banned if you:

- once slept with an alcoholic,
- once slept with a man who has *ever* had a homosexual encounter,
- once slept with someone who has *ever* been with a sex worker (and yeah, that logic extends to you if you're a woman who slept with a woman who once slept with a woman who was a sex worker....) 🤣
- once slept with someone who (say, a long time ago) was cured of an STI (since they just lump all STIs into one giant bucket anyway)...

At this rate, they might as well add one more requirement to the list:

- permanent deferral for anyone who has ever slept with someone whose entire life history (not just their sexual one, but everything!) you don't know down to the absolute smallest detail...

It’s absolutely wild... 🙄

Amy White52 said:- ever slept with an alcoholic

👎 👎 👎

I can't believe people discriminate against drinkers 👎 They're honestly the most genuine, kindest, happiest people you'll ever meet 🙏

Let me make this crystal clear: nobody should be giving away blood. 😁

I fail to see any logical reason why Americans should be barred from donating blood! Perhaps some fool harbors a superstitious fear that by receiving blood from an American, they might somehow transform into one ourselves. Personally, I wouldn't object to such a transformation if it were via American blood. In fact, it might be quite desirable, as I could finally find myself a perfectly normal partner! 😈

Mandragoran said:When you see the doctor before donating, you have to sign a statement confirming you haven't had sex with someone of the same gender...
If you aren't willing to sign that, I'm pretty sure they won't let you donate blood.

I donate all the time; I just shrug my shoulders at that question and sign the paper every single time. 😁

That's incredibly irresponsible. 👎

Instead of judging people based on random internet forums, why don't you actually ask the authorities WHY those rules exist in the first place?

Like someone once told me, the incubation period for HIV is at least a few weeks.

yeya said:I can't believe this! 🙂
Are gay men at a higher risk than gay women?🤔

Yeah, they are. Both European and American stats show that gay men make up about 30-50% of HIV cases.

The guy tested negative and isn't a one-night stand type.
The rule exists because people are IDIOTS.
Someone who had sex with a man once isn't a "risk group."
You're a risk if you've had unprotected sex with ANYONE in the last few weeks—someone whose status you don't know—based on what you know about their behavior and test results proving they're HIV-negative. Or if you've been exposed to potentially infected blood.
If he was hooking up like crazy with anyone, male or female, but it was over a year ago? He’s not a threat. That blood gets tested, and if there's an infection, it shows up.

Any rule that PERMANENTLY rejects someone just because they behaved risky once in their entire life is pure stupidity.

Jacob Wilson50, when was the last time you actually got tested?

Are gay men a higher risk group than lesbian women?

Yeah, they are. Anal sex carries way more risk when you're talking about infection rates, mostly because it causes more micro-tears in the tissue.

This country is going straight to hell! A state like this deserves its laws.
Regarding anal sex: even straight couples do it, so what's the big deal? The law is just pathetic.
No matter how much modern times have moved past Freud, he still hit on one good point: "In sex, the only thing that's unnatural is when there isn't any—everything else is just a matter of preference." I’d go a step further: "just use your head."

Well, if that's how things are, then fine—out of pure spite, I'm not giving my blood!😠 Homić, look, I haven't even slept with anyone yet, but I'm still not doing it! Not a single drop!

But one day, I do want to donate my organs. I'm actually about to go look up info on donor cards right now. Hopefully there aren't any hurdles in there for people like Homić...🤣 😬

You don't need some fancy donor card; you just need to make sure your family actually knows what you want. Under US law, you’re an organ donor by default unless you specifically opt out, but let's be real—in practice, doctors aren't going to touch anything without the family's green light anyway.

And quit picking fights with the people who wrote the regulations. It’s pointless; they couldn't care less what you think. Your blood isn't going to help them—it's for helping someone else who doesn't give a damn about policy. 🙂 Use your head for once. 🙂

Edward Green said:You don't really need a donor card—you just need your family to be in the loop about what you want. Legally, you're an organ donor unless you explicitly opt out, but in the real world, doctors aren't going to touch anything without the family's blessing.

And honestly, don't waste your energy being stubborn with the bureaucrats who wrote the rules; they couldn't care less. Your anger isn't going to help them—it'll only help someone else who actually follows the system. 🙂 Just use your head. 🙂

What’s the point of telling my family if my old engine is already totaled anyway?😬 To them, it's just a nightmare. Still, I'd personally love to have that card. I was browsing online and saw you can grab one at a hospital in Seattle (is it just there?!), or through a donor organization, or even at a government office. I'm gonna make it happen.

You're spot on about the blood part.😉

As far as I know, that donor card doesn't carry any legal weight whatsoever.
Does anyone know if there's actually a way to make sure your wishes are respected over your family's decisions once you're gone and can't speak for yourself?

That’s a fair question. On paper, the law says one thing, but in practice? It’s a completely different story... One small silver lining, though, is that once you're dead, people tend to stop bothering you about what happens to your organs.