Did you know that gay men cannot donate blood?
The FDA put a lifetime ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men in 1983, because most HIV cases are spread by homosexual men, and fears of AIDS were rampant.
The FDA also prohibits people who have taken steroids, born or lived in certain countries, or who have had a blood transfusion in Britain or France. There's a whole list here.
4 comments:
Dave went to give blood recently but was denied because he lived in Berlin at the same time there was a mad cow outbreak.
24 years ago.
Yeah, they reject people for all sorts of reasons.
Here is a list of some of the most common donor deferrals.
Actually, I'm the only one in my immediate family who can give blood. Neither of my parents can give blood because they both have autoimmune disorders, and my brother has a tattoo.
Thanks for the list. I find "had sex with someone who sniffed cocaine in last 12 months" particularly funny. You may not know!
Sex just gets you in the end, according to this list.
The weight restrictions usually do me in, though it's not on this list and I've never heard an explanation why.
"The weight restrictions usually do me in, though it's not on this list and I've never heard an explanation why."
It's for safety reasons - for you, not the person receiving the blood. If you weigh under 110 pounds, you may not (actually, probably don't) have the ability to donate the volume of blood required for blood donation and continue being able to function normally for a while after that.
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