Blood discrimination
Leah Clark
Issue date: 5/14/09 Last update: 5/18/09 at 10:59 AM PST
Section: OpEd
I tried to give blood last week during the Red Cross Blood Drive here at Laney College.
I went online and made an appointment on beadonor.com and was set to lose a few pints of blood.
I got a good night sleep the night before, ate a good breakfast, and drank a decent amount of water to prepare myself.
When I got to the third floor of the student center where the drive was being held, I read the information booklet that they give you while waiting for the next available nurse.
When my turn came up to speak with the nurse, I felt nervous and anxious.
Though I have a face full of piercings and a few tattoos, needles give me anxiety. Funny, I know.
I went with the nurse to a little area with a computer and few other gadgets to see if my blood qualified for the drive. She asked me some personal questions, ran a few tests--blood pressure, pulse, temperature, hemoglobin, and whether my blood is positive or negative type (mine is positive.)
When it came down to the personal questions, they ask to see if your habits or travel or whatnot disqualifies your blood. It is where everything falls through--as it usually does for me.
A few years ago I tried to give blood but couldn't because I had gotten a tattoo within the last 12 months.
This time I was disqualified because my partner is a bisexual male, and as long as I'm with him, I can't give blood.
This I find to be extremely amusing.
This just really points out to me how homophobic our country is if we can't even give blood to save lives because of sexual orientation, like our blood is tainted and not fit for anyone else.
They test the blood anyway.
I truly feel that they are discriminating against the LGBT community. I know several gay men, who are frustrated with the fact that they can't donate blood because of their sexual orientation, and don't want to go 'back in the closet' and lie about what they are anymore, even to give blood.
I could have lied, but really, if they don't need my blood because of such a reason, they don't need my blood.
I still think it's important; I do believe that people should give blood, but the discrimination that is entangled with it upsets me.
I went online and made an appointment on beadonor.com and was set to lose a few pints of blood.
I got a good night sleep the night before, ate a good breakfast, and drank a decent amount of water to prepare myself.
When I got to the third floor of the student center where the drive was being held, I read the information booklet that they give you while waiting for the next available nurse.
When my turn came up to speak with the nurse, I felt nervous and anxious.
Though I have a face full of piercings and a few tattoos, needles give me anxiety. Funny, I know.
I went with the nurse to a little area with a computer and few other gadgets to see if my blood qualified for the drive. She asked me some personal questions, ran a few tests--blood pressure, pulse, temperature, hemoglobin, and whether my blood is positive or negative type (mine is positive.)
When it came down to the personal questions, they ask to see if your habits or travel or whatnot disqualifies your blood. It is where everything falls through--as it usually does for me.
A few years ago I tried to give blood but couldn't because I had gotten a tattoo within the last 12 months.
This time I was disqualified because my partner is a bisexual male, and as long as I'm with him, I can't give blood.
This I find to be extremely amusing.
This just really points out to me how homophobic our country is if we can't even give blood to save lives because of sexual orientation, like our blood is tainted and not fit for anyone else.
They test the blood anyway.
I truly feel that they are discriminating against the LGBT community. I know several gay men, who are frustrated with the fact that they can't donate blood because of their sexual orientation, and don't want to go 'back in the closet' and lie about what they are anymore, even to give blood.
I could have lied, but really, if they don't need my blood because of such a reason, they don't need my blood.
I still think it's important; I do believe that people should give blood, but the discrimination that is entangled with it upsets me.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
John
posted 5/20/09 @ 4:09 AM PST
Our Federal Government leads the way with Discrimination. It is the FDA that sets the rules, not the blood banks or Red Cross.
But this fits with the other discrimination sanctioned by our government - Don't Ask, Don't Tell; Defense of Marriage Act; the current plant to "massage" the census data so that same-sex couples that report married as a status will be changed. (Continued…)
Reginald James
posted 5/25/09 @ 5:29 AM PST
First off, I want to applaud your efforts to give blood. It is a sacrifice that you do not have to do.
However; it is important to know that giving blood is not a right. (Continued…)
Reginald James
posted 6/17/09 @ 9:36 AM PST
lol...I hear your frustration. I think that is the average assumption about that behavior, lifestyle, orientation, whatever you want to call it.
What is a solution for this 'discrimination' that allows people to give blood, and minimize risk. (Continued…)
Hypavera
posted 9/23/09 @ 9:25 AM PST
Yes this is a very frustrating situation. I've experienced similar.
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