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would it be ethical?

To give blood if youd done something in the distant past that meant that you didnt fit the criteria, but youd since been tested for HIV and hepatitis B and the tests were negative?
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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd say it would be unethical, tbh, because there is the possibility of false negatives.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You should talk to the NBS nurse there. But yes, if you didn't mention it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    is there?
    I thought you either would have the antigens or antibodies in your blood or you wouldnt?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wasnt actually planning on giving blood, this is just something thats been bothering me, was just wanting other views.

    Would it also be unethical for me to carry a donor card?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No, as I understand it there are no restrictions on carrying a donor card. But you might want to check. And yes, there are always possbilities of false results.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You would think that it would be much less likely that ive got it, being that ive tested negative, than someone who didnt know either way but hadnt been tested wouldnt you?
    Is it unethical for anyone to give blood if theyve never had a test? not that tests are conclusive it seems.
    Now that heterosexuals are the most common group for contracting HIV, do you think that theyll change the requirements soon? Mind you, then theyd really be fucked.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I thought that they did a screen on first time blood doners anyway? I'm sure my mum found out about something or another (not anaemia) from a random sample of donated blood, I just can't for the life of me remember what it was! :yeees:

    It may be unethical yes, but surely regardless of that you'd rather not donate blood than feel you might be putting others at risk. Better to be safe thatn sorry.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well Im not going to, because I dont want to have to lie, I do think its rather stupid though. There are a lot of potential completely healthy donors who are unable to donate.
    Bumblebee, out of interest, do you know what they actually screen for?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think they test for Hep B & C and HIV.

    Edit: Apparently they also test for syphilis.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think if you have any chance of risk then no - dont donate.

    If you know for definate that you have not done anything risky then by all means... have a test for everything before if you want to be 100% sure.

    NUS Scotland currently have a campaign at the moment to cease with the discrimination of gay men who donate blood. Currently if you have had gay sex [even non-penetrative], then you are likely to be stopped from donating - of course this does not apply to heterosexual donors who are more likely to pass on STIs. :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You have to read and sign the form each time you go, so you would probably be guilty of manslaughter if you ever did knowingly pass on a deadly infection.

    You may find this interesting
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Now that I weigh over 8 stone and would be fine for blood donation weight-wise, I find that because I had lots of blood transfusions in the early 80s, I'm still exempt from being able to donate.:yeees:

    I expect the blood transfusion thing invalidates a lot of people, never mind risks of HIV or Hep B...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    people whove travelled to Africa cant donate either.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kentish wrote:
    You have to read and sign the form each time you go, so you would probably be guilty of manslaughter if you ever did knowingly pass on a deadly infection.

    You may find this interesting
    Thats very interesting, thanks kentish.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wonder why the window for sex in africa is a year, rather than a complete ban.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    To give blood if youd done something in the distant past that meant that you didnt fit the criteria, but youd since been tested for HIV and hepatitis B and the tests were negative?


    Depends what exactly it was that didn't fit the criteria really.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wonder why the window for sex in africa is a year, rather than a complete ban.
    Until I read that, I was a bit sad that I couldn't give blood. So I'm glad you posted that :p.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And let's not forget that if you're a man who's ever had sex with another man you aren't allowed to give blood. Always strengthens my faith in the screening processes, and as we know, it's only gay men that get HIV/AIDS isn't it......oh, wait a minute..... :chin:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Damn Right wrote:
    And let's not forget that if you're a man who's ever had sex with another man you aren't allowed to give blood. Always strengthens my faith in the screening processes, and as we know, it's only gay men that get HIV/AIDS isn't it......oh, wait a minute..... :chin:
    This is what im thinking too. The fastest rising rates of HIv infection are in heterosexuals. Im torn between seeing their logic, and thinking that their not using very up to date research. I know if they put a blanket ban on gay men donating, then they run less risk of infected blood slipping through the net, but of course the less people they allow to donate, theyre going to get less mistakes. I would have thought it would be better to only allow people to donate who had tested negative for the various blood borne diseases, rather than say no to a monogamous gay man whos tested negative, potentially in favour of a promiscusous heterosexual who has never had a test.
    Im not even talking about me anymore, just in general, the rules dont take into account newer high risk groups, yet are blanket banning others.
    Im not sure how they really get away with it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yezzur, that's the point I'm making, I think it's both discriminatory and slightly dangerous logic their working on, I mean we all remember the CJD cases.
    I personally am a total needlephobe so would never donante anyway (I do own a donor card however) but my girlfriend does.
    I'm also annoyed with the stance they take to the deaf, on "See, Hear" not so long ago there was a piece about a deaf woman who was turned away because she wasn't allowed a BSL interpreter to sit with her during her medical questionaire as it was a breach of confidentiality. I find this incredible as she would know what was on the questionaire beforehand as you get it with your reminder and would therefore obviously only have nominated someone she trusted, but in the statement from the NBS they baisically said "Whoops, well, no one can be there but the nurse, sorry luv."
    Desperate for blood? Yes, as long as you aren't deaf or a gay man...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They've just banned EVERYONE who's had a transfusion after 1980 from donating, stop whining about gays.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not "Whining about gays", I was merely stating some of the discriminatory factors and logic that they use to choose who can donate. It seems large swathes of the population are affected somehow or another...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, they are, and honestly I'd like to keep it that way.

    ETA: only 6% of the eligible population ACTUALLY donate, so it's not like the restrictions are causing a problem is it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Right, ok, not quite understanding your logic there? Obviously you wouldn't want infected blood, but I don't think anyone was ever saying that, merely that it seems unfair that certain groups are totally excluded when, as Rainbowbrite said, those who are not excluded may equally carry the nasties they're trying to stop getting into donations...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Those who are not obviously excluded are very quickly ruled out.

    I know, why don't you sue the NBS for being descriminatory.

    http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/flash_questions.html
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well how so? When all they have to go on (pre-testing of your donantion) is the questionaire which rules these specific groups out in the first place?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And all the tests they do on your blood. They take 3 test-tubes as well as the 589ml (i think) of blood for transfusion.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah they take two I think, but that's not really the point I was trying to get at. The point I was/is making is that if the tests they do on that blood are adequate for the population of donors who are elegible (who may not know they have AIDS/HIV etc when they answer the survey and so go on to donate anyway), then why are they not for those who've had a transfusion already, before 1980 or those who are gay? I apologise if I was focusuing on one group too specifically above.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if they test it so thoroughly then they shouldnt have to blanket ban certain groups even if there was a good reason for it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Exactly what I was trying to say
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