Red Cross Bans Blood Donations From Gays

[sriracha john]

EDITORIAL

The Red Cross and bad blood

Thailand's Red Cross Society should reveal more scientific evidence to support its decision to ban homosexuals from giving blood donations. Thailand's Disease Control Department has found that the greatest risk of contracting HIV/Aids comes from having unprotected sex, regardless of whether someone is homosexual or heterosexual. Of the nearly 14,000 Thais who acquired HIV last year, 34% were young women and housewives. Gay men comprised the second largest group at 24%, and 84% of those contracted the deadly virus through unprotected sex. The Red Cross claims it has lots of unused blood donated by men who have sex with men. It should reveal exactly how much blood is contaminated, compared with heterosexuals, and whether anyone has contracted HIV through a blood transfusion in Thailand from a gay man. Moreover, it says that in questionnaires and interviews men will be asked if they are "homosexuals" and women will be asked "if they have had sex with men from countries that have high incidence of Aids cases". Yet the study cited by the Red Cross to come up with its policy to ban gays - one by J A Musto of the University of New South Wales' National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research - cites Thailand and South Africa as countries with a high incidence of Aids. By this logic, every Thai woman who has sex with a Thai man should be banned from donating blood as well.Of course, that would never happen. But it reveals how decisions must be based on statistics and indisputable evidence rather than broad, sweeping statements that only serve to reinforce cultural stereotypes. This is not to say that the Thai Red Cross shouldn't do all it can to make sure donated blood is safe. The important question to ask is if homosexuality alone is reason enough to ban donors.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/04Apr2008_news18.php

[jdinasia]

If you are in a high risk group do not donate. What is the frigging problem? Remember Arthur Ashe? He was suspected odf being homosexual, when the only thing is he received dirty blood. If I became HIV positive from a transfusion, I would want to know who I got the blood from

Yes, I remember 'Arthur Ashe' (R-I-P) very well.

It was very sad to see him a few months before his death. Even near death this tennis great was still active in running tennis charity event in Doral County Club (The famous site for Ryder Open golf tournament). Sad because his life was eating away by deadly AIDS in which he got it from the tainted blood during an operation. (at a time before there was a test for HIV)

What a waste of life. We had lost one of the great tennis icon to something we can prevent. NOW --- sadly it wasn't preventable then

I'm all for the Red Cross's action on this issue.

I feel this is short-sighted. It has no other result than to make people FEEL safer, while in fact they are no safer. So it creates a sensation and damages the growth that has helped for years to keep people thinking! When you do silly things like this it tends to scapegoat a community and makes people have a false sense of security. (See they don't accept gay people's blood donations! They must be at fault! --- instead of pushing what should be the REAL agenda in Thailand. Protecting people, in particular women from spouses that use drugs and visit prostitutes etc!.)

Thailand under Meechai was very progressive in dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis, sadly it is slipping further and further into a reactive, instead of pro-active, role in dealing with this. SHAME

[lazeeboy]

hopefully those who banned blood from gays never need blood ,total idiots ,all blood wheather from straight or gay has to be screened.....

[jdinasia]

hopefully those who banned blood from gays never need blood ,total idiots ,all blood wheather from straight or gay has to be screened.....

My point exactly, not to mention that the false sense of security gained by scapegoating a group may lead to testing complacency!

[Heng]

They need free screening, but they do need to ban or screen out high risk groups as much as they can. That includes plenty of heterosexuals and not all gays.

[sriracha john]

Red Cross drops question on sex

Homosexuals can still donate blood at the Thai Red Cross Society

It has been decided to scrap a controversial question quizzing donors about same-sex behaviour.

The Chief of the society's national blood centre, Dr Soisa-ang Pikulsod, says it has decided a questionnaire asking donors about risky sexual behaviour is "an obstacle for homosexuals to donate blood."

The form is a preliminary preventive measure to make sure only safe blood is taken. This helps ensure infected blood is not given to transfusion patients.

But homosexuals were offended by the question, so the society decided to scrap it and continue accepting blood donations.

Soisa-ang says the society will add a question about risky sex in general to appease offended homosexual donors.

- Daily Xpress (today)

[sriracha john]

Gay Thais Allowed to Donate Blood

Gay men in Thailand will now be able to donate blood, the Red Cross of Thailand announced on Friday. Gay rights activists had complained about the screening process, which essentially barred gay men from donating blood, solely because of their sexual orientation, for fear of contaminating the blood supply with HIV, according to Agence France-Presse.

"We didn't mean to hurt anyone," Soisaang Pikulsod, director of the Thai Red Cross National Blood Center, said in the article. "It was just to ensure the highest possible safety of our patients."

The Red Cross is reworking the form to include questions about risky sexual behavior and drug abuse rather than sexual orientation.

In Thailand, a predominantly Buddhist country, donating blood is an important way of earning religious merit, which Buddhists believe will help them in their next life, according to the report.

In 2007, it was found that 500 Thai blood donors had HIV and that about half of those donors were gay or bisexual men.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 28% of gay men in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, are HIV-positive.

- The Advocate

[PeaceBlondie]

The last statistic on the latest report, that the USA's CDC found 28% of gay men in Bangkok were HIV positive, sounds like a big lie. Are there any reliable statistics to that effect? Does the CDC conduct surveys in Thailand?

[sriracha john]

The last statistic on the latest report, that the USA's CDC found 28% of gay men in Bangkok were HIV positive, sounds like a big lie. Are there any reliable statistics to that effect? Does the CDC conduct surveys in Thailand?

Yes, they do... quite extensive ones... in Bangkok initially, then a follow-up one involving Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.

HIV Prevalence Among Populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men --- Thailand, 2003 and 2005

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5531a2.htm

[Prakanong]

Well unless it has changed in the UK. People from "high risk" groups are nor allowed to donate blood. That includes gays, drug users, people who have sex with prostitutes, unprotected or not. If in the last 6 months you have travelled through a high risk malaria area. Sorry but I think it is common sense.

I do not know about the malaria area but I do not think you can even if you have just been in Thailand.

Last week I was in the UK for the first time in 2 years and presented at A&E with a swollen foot and it was painful to walk - I thought it was tendinitis of my achilles and still do - but they had me x-rayed, had a good look at it and were baffled.

The SHO consulted her registrar and they discussed it and she came back to me suggesting it was "Reactionary Arthritis" or something similar caused possible by Pneumococcal infection through a STD - the reason fir suggesting this? - I live in Asia and I had passed through Bangkok

Now if they suspected that they should have suggested further diagnostic tests plus maybe they should have started me on an antibiotic in the meantime instead of sending me away with iboprofen and codamol - I really am glad I have the insurance for the better hospitals in Asia

[MustaphaMond]

I'm all for the Red Cross's action on this issue.

[/quote] Protecting people, in particular women from spouses that use drugs and visit prostitutes etc!.)

Men that are giving their wives HIV aren't getting it from female prostitutes. it is highly unlikely that men catch aids from vaginal sex, it is transmitted through receptive ( bleeding rectum ) anal sex or sharing needles. AIDS is caused by a bloodborne virus and is not transmitted casually.

Remember HIV Negative babies are born to HIV positive women .

Any woman should not have sex with any male without a condom, husbands included, perhaps especially.

[jstumbo]

Men that are giving their wives HIV aren't getting it from female prostitutes. it is highly unlikely that men catch aids from vaginal sex, it is transmitted through receptive ( bleeding rectum ) anal sex or sharing needles. AIDS is caused by a bloodborne virus and is not transmitted casually.

Remember HIV Negative babies are born to HIV positive women .

Any woman should not have sex with any male without a condom, husbands included, perhaps especially.

Did we just time warp back to the 80s?