Red Cross Discimination

[Aqualung]

And I'm just thinking if my hubby contracted Mad Cow disease when he was three years old, he'd probably know by now. He is, afterall, going to be 27 in November.

Apparantly, the average incubation period for CJD may be 30 years. Even if that number is high, it's a disease that definitely takes a long time to notice in humans.

 

[lilithu]

You (should) know for a fact there are people in this world who would refuse blood if they knew it came from homosexual men,

So don't tell them. I can imagine that a clansman might refuse blood if he knew it came from a black person, but I don't know any of hospitals/emergency personnel actually asking clansmen whether it's ok to give them "black blood."

Do we generally tell the recipients of blood transfusions what the gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, etc is of the donor to make sure it's ok with them?

 

[Ciscokid]

So don't tell them. I can imagine that a clansman might refuse blood if he knew it came from a black person, but I don't know any of hospitals/emergency personnel actually asking clansmen whether it's ok to give them "black blood."

Do we generally tell the recipients of blood transfusions what the gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, etc is of the donor to make sure it's ok with them?

Very true. The patient shouldn't need to know "who" it came from, only, that it's safe and their type.

 

[SoyLeche]

It's not just the Red Cross that won't accept blood from homosexual men is it? I've donated with other services and they all ask about it.

Coincidentally - I know several people who have can't donate because they had a positive test result for HIV. None of them actually have it though. Anyone know how many false-positives and false-negatives come up in those tests?

 

[Booko]

So don't tell them. I can imagine that a clansman might refuse blood if he knew it came from a black person, but I don't know any of hospitals/emergency personnel actually asking clansmen whether it's ok to give them "black blood."

Reminds me of an old M*A*S*H episode where some white guy asked for the "good stuff" and while he was still out they colored him with shoe polish just to make a point about the idiocy of his statement.

Do we generally tell the recipients of blood transfusions what the gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, etc is of the donor to make sure it's ok with them?

Nope, just blood type and Rh factor. Actually we don't tell them that even, because the medical staff takes care of that part.

 

[Booko]

It's not just the Red Cross that won't accept blood from homosexual men is it? I've donated with other services and they all ask about it.

Coincidentally - I know several people who have can't donate because they had a positive test result for HIV. None of them actually have it though. Anyone know how many false-positives and false-negatives come up in those tests?

There are different tests of course, and odds are the quick one gives the largest number of false positives.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/journal_article/pdf/rapid_review.pdf [PDF]

Some other sites of interest:
HIV & AIDS - False Positive Viral Loads
Clinics Using OraQuick Oral HIV Test Reporting Rates of False-Positive Results Within Limits on Label, OraSure Announces - The Body (14:9400)

 

[lilithu]

Apparantly, the average incubation period for CJD may be 30 years. Even if that number is high, it's a disease that definitely takes a long time to notice in humans.

I thought it was ten years. You mean I'm still at risk?

 

[Aqualung]

I'm not a doctor. I just say what I read on the internets.