Folks,  

At one point in my life (pre-hobby) I donated blood frequently, usually 3 - 4 times a year. I felt it was the right thing to do if it helped just one person and it’s also a good idea for health reasons for a man to donate. It has been some time since my last donation and would like to give, but don’t think I could get past the interview.

If you are active in the hobby do you still give blood? Do you answer all the interview questions honestly or lie about your activities?

Just curious to see how others deal with this.

Thanks for your comments.

Walt

For many years I donated blood but because of a diagnosis of prostate cancer I don't qualify as a donor. I would think that for anyone in this hobby/profession it would be terribly unsafe.

and I fainted on my way over to the cookies.

The doctor told me it was probably just as well that I don't donate any more.

Besides, my blood is AB, which only other ABs can use, and we're only 5% of the population, so it's no big loss.

The questions aren't arbitrary!  Would you put your blood in a dying infant?  Yes or no?  Because that could happen.  (Btw, I'm not eligible because 3 months in the UK as a child means I could have mad cow disease.  Probably ridiculous BUT NOT MY DECISION!)

PLEASE let the epidemiologists decide what risks are acceptable.  Please.

Gay sex is not synonymous with STI/AIDS, yet it is treated as such. The Red Cross is long overdue for revamping their blood screening methods (there are plenty of health professionals advocating for this). They could simply flag questionable donations for further testing.  

Instead, I get bombarded with calls and emails EVERY SINGLE DAY because there's a desperate need for blood (I'm O-, universal donor)! Yes, I practice safe sex, I'm STI-negative and I would definitely contribute my blood to save a dying infant.

After seeing the spread of free food in the student union, my roommate and I went for it.  When they found out I was also O-neg,  they are more than happy to take my blood.   Since I take a baby aspirin daily, I fudge on that question just to save some time.  I don't have any trouble clotting anyway, except the time a new trainee stuck me in an artery.  And don't we ALL pay for sex in one way or another?  That being the case, who would be left to give?

I spent three years in the UK in the 1980s while on active duty.  I used to be an active donor, but, I, too, was disqualified because of Mad Cow.  I once had a colleague high up in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  He told me that they made reasonable recommendations to the Red Cross about Mad Cow, but that the Red Cross went crazy and basically took the paranoid approach.  The fact is that anyone in the U.S. military and their family members who have ever been stationed in Europe for a normal tour are disqualified.

Honesty is always the best policy, but each unit of blood is checked for a number of  infectious diseases.  Checkout the attached American Red Cross website

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