Did you know that gay men cannot donate blood? I wasn't aware of this until the other day when a friend pointed it out to me. And I was furious.
So I did some research and apparently in the 80's, the FDA put a lifetime ban on gay men donating blood. This came about after something like 10,000 hemophiliacs contracted HIV from blood transfusions. While that is unbelievably tragic, I think it is equally as tragic to consider the number of people who have died because there wasn't a blood type match found quickly enough. The World Health Organization (WHO) says directly on their website:
"Blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. The need for blood transfusion may arise at any time in both urban and rural areas. The unavailability of blood has led to deaths and many patients suffering from ill-health."
To add insult to injury, sluts, whores, slutty whores, and generally promiscuous women can donate with minimal restrictions. Because the blood is tested for a plethora of diseases - including HIV. Let me repeat that - the blood is tested for HIV. So why in the hell can't gay men donate? Even if they are considered (by some) to be at a higher risk, their blood would still be tested.
In 2013, we have technologies that allow cars to park themselves, vacuums to run on their own, lasers to correct our vision, and an International Space Station orbiting the earth for Christ's sake. Can it really be that difficult to design a comprehensive blood test which would allow any willing person to donate?
We live in a scary world where bad things happen every day. I just wish we also lived in a world where any human being who wanted to make a difference would be given that opportunity.
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