*I* can't donate blood

[underpants]

:grr:

Great just frickin'' GREAT

I go out of my way to do the right thing. I set the thing up ahead of time so they know I'm coming so they can count on me. I am ONegative which is the universal donor.

I haven't had sex with another man ever (since 1977 is the cut off-apparently gays can't give blood-WHO knew?) and I mean at all not the "It's not gay if your balls don't touch" thing either.

I called my wife-- she hasn't used a needle to take drugs or taken drugs or money as payment for sex in the last 10 years (that was a funny phone call :bounce: )

I haven't taken drugs via a needle NOR taken payment for sex in the form of drugs or money either*

*my wife reminded me of "the perfect date" but that is another story.

Everything was fine until.............

They asked if I had been in the US military between 1980 and 1996 and if I had been in Europe for more than 3 months in that time period. Yes on both-1990 to 1993 in Germany.

SORRY CAN'T TAKE YOUR BLOOD!!! The US Army used food sources that may have been susceptible to Mad Cow Disease and they have no way of testing for it.

Seriously. The lady was really nice and we actually laughed about it but no thank you but help yourself to the cookies.

BE ALL YOU CAN BE.

[AngryAmish]

1. I can't give blood

Losing that much blood causes me to go into shock.

[billyskank]

2. Sorry, you have icky contaminated European-style blood now

Eeeeeeeeew :P

Like there's no BSE on your side of the Atlantic, yeah right. They are just better at covering it up.

[TheBaldyMan]

3. all BSE cases in the US use different NOFORN prions,

perfectly safe and not at all contaminated.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

53. LOL. Not contaminated by those nasty EURO prions, LOL.

[northzax]

i'm banned for a couple of reasons

but none of the good ones, I'm afraid. I lived in the UK in the early 80s, so I was theoretically exposed to BSE (of course it would have killed me by now, at 31) Plus, I have taken anti-malarials.

and, of course, there was the weekend with the heroin shooting jigilo.

[matcom]

4. yup. i can't give either for exactly the same reason

dammit! Mrs Matcom shouldn't have taken money for that sex 10 years ago x(

:hide:

[underpants]

12. Hey you SAID you didn't feel them touch

:bounce::spank:

[matcom]

15. what do *I* know

i was drunk :7

[swimboy]

5. WHO knew?? Your gay pals knew.

Apparently, no matter how gay men actually conduct their lives, we are officially suspect, disreputable and tainted. :grr:

I keep forgetting that heterosexuals can't transmit diseases to each other.

:eyes:

It's not gay if your balls don't touch--I got a kick out of that. That's genuinely funny and I'm sure any number of "straight" people have found it to be a useful definition.

Sorry I didn't get to tell you yesterday, but I hope you had a great time on your birthday. :thumbsup:


And remember: NO Teabagging!!!

:rofl:

[tjwmason]

7. It's a damn shame too.

Giving blood was such fun - and then drinking the evening after was even more fun.

[underpants]

9. Thanks

I was surprised at the gay thing too. You have a great point about how blood diseases are confined to only those people who have blood.

:eyes:

Well they didn't REALLY touch anyway. :bounce:

I heard that line a few weeks ago. I think it is hilarious.

:hi:


BTW_ buses on Franklin?? Are they kidding? That street will be jammed up like express lunch line at Ukrops.

[swimboy]

26. Did you see the great LTTE Monday about the angry Mayor?

It was funny. "He is angry at the Performing Arts Center, he is angry at the Baseball Stadium people, he is angry with Maymont, he is angry at people waiting for the bus in front of the library."

:rofl: (except it's sad)

[underpants]

29. That's not funny

THIS is funny (link to the angry LTTE below)

I loved this....communists :rofl:

Why Not Tax Gay Marriage?
Editor, Times-Dispatch: I have a proposal that will help fund much-needed transportation projects and allow the GOP to continue beating up on its favorite boogeymen (now that the Communists have been defeated).
Some members of the GOP suggested that the fee for a marriage performed by a civil officer be raised to $100. Why not raise the fee and allow gays to marry? Just think of all the extra revenue that could be used to build more roads plus the Republicans still could stick it to gay citizens by taxing them simply for wanting legal recognition of their unions. Stephen Anderson
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855935005&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834931168&path=%21editorials%21letters



Why Is Wilder So Angry?
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855935005&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834955020&path=%21editorials%21letters

[RetroLounge]

46. And remember: NO Teabagging!!!

:spray: :spray: :spray: :spray:

:rofl:

:hi:

RL

[Ohio Joe]

6. I can't give either

I've had human growth hormones. I think there is a test, but I have to get it and pay for it on my own.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

55. I don't think there is a test for the prions that cause BSE. HGH was

obtained from cadaver pituitary extracts (I think it's made through molecular biology now), which had a small associated incidence of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, one of the spongioform encephalopathies.

[TimeChaser]

8. I'm borderline anemic

Technically, my iron was just above the cut off mark, however, every time I tried to give blood I got very sick. So I'm going to wait a few years before I try again.

[xmas74]

50. They turn me down for the same reason.

Last time I gave I was borderline and I passed out midway.

Most of the time I don't make the cut off mark.

[giant_robot]

10. Wow, that means I can't give blood, either.

Seems I might have a touch of the mad cow. Wow, the things you learn on DU.

[underpants]

14. Amazing

experimental drugs and apparently experimental food.

I knew they served way too much of that veal for there not to be a problem.

[giant_robot]

37. The chili mac of doom....

What the hell, I'd probably eat it anyway. I love me some chili mac!

[underpants]

38. NPR had a great report on MRE's

Really funny. They have like 25 different meals now.

The platoon on the report had a rotation of first and LAST picks each day. The worst according to them was the "Five fingers of death" which was the hot dog meal.

Back in MY day (hitches up pants) anything with "Loaf" in the name was to be avoided like breaking track.

[CBHagman]

11. I'm in the same boat.

I didn't serve in the military, but I did spend some time on an Army base in Germany in the '80s.

There are plenty of limitations nowadays for giving blood, no matter how eligible you might think you are. :shrug: Who's left to give blood?

[underpants]

13. Really, I wonder if this applies to soldiers who have been to the ME

either in the first Gulf War or this one.

I'll go down and ask.

[seemunkee]

16. I have a one year ban due to traveling in a malaria area

I'll be good by next September

[Misunderestimator]

17. Re "gays can't give blood"...

That's... "Gay *men* who have had sex since 1977 and don't lie about it on the application..." can't give blood. Doesn't matter that it's just as easy for a straight woman to contract HIV from a man... or for a gay man to not have anal sex and be at very little risk. This subject irritates me on so many levels. Lie and ... Voila! They'll happily take your blood.

[WCGreen]

18. Have you know, or ever been a homer sexual........

[underpants]

20. Right

Hell I could have just lied about being in the Army too.

Just frickin' great huh?

[Misunderestimator]

23. Insane is what it is.... There's not enough blood...

yet they can't come up with better ways to test it so that they don't limit their pool of donors so ridiculously. Annoying.

[xmas74]

51. It is insane.

I am usually turned away for anemia. That I understand. But my brother cannot give because of the military bit. He used to donated every 8-12 weeks. And a friend cannot give even though he is in a LTR w/ the same man for 12 years now. Yet at nearly every monthly Red Cross meeting I hear someone griping about how low the US supplies are for blood.

Who is left to donate?

[eyesroll]

32. I've always found it interesting that I, as a woman, can take a different

man to bed every night, and have all sorts of unprotected sex, and as long as I don't ask questions or shoot drugs or pay for/accept money for it, they'll take my blood ... but two men in a monogamous relationship since the 1960s can't give blood.

[EstimatedProphet]

19. I can't give blood either

and I'm O+, which is always been in high demand. In my case I had multiple cases of hepatitis.

[no name no slogan]

21. Same reason I can't donate, either

I lived in the UK for seven months in 1991-92, during the whole mad cow scare. Consequently, they won't take my blood either.

Beef-- it's what's for dinner, if you're a cow.

[LisaLynne]

22. You can't give blood for a while after you get a tatoo, either.

I think it might be for a whole year.

[LynneSin]

24. Same thing happened to me because of a trip to Costa Rica

That trip was 5 years ago and I haven't donated since

[blondeatlast]

25. As one who had received blood, I'm happy to take the will for the deed.

Good on ya, anyway.

:hug:

[DanCa]

27. I can't give blood either

Damn Parkinson's. Just keep punching U.P. that's all we can do. Remember it's thousands no one copes we just ride it out.

[Midlodemocrat]

28. I can't either.

But I'm not telling why.

[1gobluedem]

30. I can't give blood either

Clotting issues. I'm not a hemophiliac but it takes a long time for my blood to clot. I can't take any anti-inflammatory drugs for the same reason. And I have arthritis. Yay.

[fight4my3sons]

57. me either, opposite reason

also clotting issues - I have antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, my blood clots too quickly. Also I guess no one wants these antibodies that I have.

[RubyDuby in GA]

31. I'm sorry underpants. I used to be a Red Cross VIP donor too

Can't now because of bun in the oven, but even before then it was incredibly hard for me. I'm severely anemic and always had to bulk up for a week on iron rich foods.

My dad was a donor too, so I try to follow in his footsteps. I know what it means to give just because you know it's the right thing to do. Those questions are ridiculous and 1 in a billion people will have something wrong with their blood. If they do such a strenuous screening process, I don't see what the harm is in letting you give and then having your blood tested like everyone else's. I'm sure there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

As much as they're always calling me begging for a donation, I'd think they wouldn't turn donors away so quickly.

You're still a great person just for trying! :)

[LaurenG]

33. I believe it was the vaccinations

they told my husband they couldn't take his blood over. I wish they'd get it straight.

[DS1]

34. Same boat

:shrug:

[underpants]

35. They've had banners scrolling across the TV screen

and I am talking about DURING the basketball tournament games.

Yellow letters -DESPERATELY needed O Positive -well since I am a universal donor I figured they would LOVE to have mine.

Nope no thank you. :eyes:

[DS1]

39. I was in England after 1980 - and I've donated numerous times in the

past, just not anymore. It's pretty dumb, I think, especially since it's been about 20 years since I've been off US/Canadian soil.

Hell, I'd even pass a drug-test these days

[LostinVA]

44. I would, too.... that's scary

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. I've never been able to give blood underpants.

You're in good company.

[DS1]

45. !

:yoiks:

[Kali]

58. yeah I caught that too

[KitchenWitch]

40. I am on a permanent donor ban!

I had lymphoma. Never can donate again.

[LostinVA]

41. Me either -- I was exposed to Mad Cow in bot the UK and Germany

while on vacations. I always was a VIP donor before this...

[Redstone]

42. Me either. Hemochromatosis.

Redstone

[politicat]

61. They love my Hemochromatosis Husband's blood...

It's a standard treatment for HC - bloodletting. He donates every three weeks, and they're happy to have it.

We're both O+, so they get his every 21 days and mine every 60 days.

Fortunately, neither of us were in the wrong places with the military.

[Bunny]

43. That happened to my brother, too. He spent a year in Turkey

with the Air Force, sometime back in the early 80's. He can't donate either.

[pitohui]

47. well yeah

this has been the case for quite some while, hasn't it?

[xmas74]

52. Just the past couple of years.

My brother still has tshirts from blood drives in 2001, which I think was the last year he was allowed to donate. Before then he was a VIP, now he doesn't even try because they've turned him down. He's turned down over his two years overseas in the military.

[Moosepoop]

48. I can't donate, either.

Hereditary spherocytosis, which means my red blood cells are shaped funny. I was SO PISSED when I was told as a teenager that I couldn't donate! I'd been waiting to turn 18 so I could begin, and planned on eventually getting up to the many gallons that my Dad had donated in his lifetime. Nobody else in my family can donate either, we all have the sphercytic blood cells. :-(

[xmas74]

49. My brother can't give for the same reason.

Up until a few years ago he donated every 8-12 weeks. One day they cut him off.

[ChoralScholar]

54. Yeah.. we've had this discussion a time or two on DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=66996

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2285413

[WilliamPitt]

56. "It's not gay if your balls don't touch"

Is this some kind of industry standard I'm not aware of?

[American Tragedy]

59. I can't either, apparently. "Too petite".

For some reason, they couldn't just draw a smaller amount.

You'd think they would take as much as they could get, since they're supposedly in such dire need.

[politicat]

60. What's really sad? Their rules don't follow CDC data.

On the prion issue, there's a lot of uncertainty, but the CDC data on STDs and HIV infection shows that heterosexual women are at a greater risk of HIV infection than gay men. Women have yet to learn that a condom every time means a condom every time. We still worry more about pregnancy than STDs.

Women who have no risk of pregnancy (hysterectomy, tubal ligation, hormonal birth control) have a worse rate of using barrier protection than any other group, including IV drug users (who are not known for their stellar sexual practices), and thus have a higher rate of infection per capita than do gay men. Gay men have gotten the message - new infection rates have been consistently down every year in the last ten.

The real risk to the blood supply isn't the committed gay couple down the block -- it's the divorced woman of 45-55 who had a tubal after her last kid, has no kids at home, and is taking advantage of her singleness for the first time since she was 20.

My mother's blood scares me more than my gay friends' blood does.