Poll: Blood Doning

[WanderingFool]

Firstly, I had a medical condition that prevented me from giving blood, largely because my blood was sub par and would most likely never be used.

Secondly, I fucking hate needles. Not needles to an my bicep, but needles that go in my vains.

 

[Tay051173096]

Gave some last monday...

Once every four months.

 

[Keava]

Certainly not by using the term "doning" as that is too close to the verb to don, which would be donning and means putting on. As much as I like gore and scary stuff i'm not sure blood would be the most comfortable of apparel.

Now if You mean donating blood, I don't qualify, sadly.

 

[natster43]

I am giving blood on the 20th, and I normally give every time I get called and can give more blood.

 

[The Almighty Grigard]

Huh I have a tragic little story about this little thing. See I am blood type 0 Rh negative. Which basically means I could give more or less anyone. I have no blood carried diseases or anything as well. I have never even tried drugs or tobacco, so I haven't ever been at risk of an infected needle. I could go on forever detailing the very good reasons why our hospitals would love to get their hands on my blood. I want to donate blood to help people.

But there's one problem. Because of one tiny tiny thing they absolutely refuse to even draw and test my blood, no discussion or argument, just fuck right off and never come back. Because I am male attracted to other males.

I'm not shitting you.

Yeah, we have that in Australia as well, or rather a 12 month ban after having male/male sex, because anal sex increases risk of infection for the person whose anus it is. Nothing about male/female anal sex, of course, nor what role the person played in male/male sex.

I bet they're afraid that "gay blood" will "infect" patients and turn them gay. Which kinda makes me laugh just a little bit...

OT: I donate blood whenever I'm permitted to. The minimum time has been changing frequently over the last couple of years. And being AB-, they never seem to have much of it.

Nah, It's not the "gay blood" that is the problem. It is the "risk of infection". They blatantly disregard safety precautions, roles of either partner and what you actually did. But they do issue a blanket statement. "If you are male and have had a sexual encounter with another male you are not allowed to donate blood." Just like that. Nevermind that they test every single bag of donated blood with nearly perfect accuracy. Sure, let some poor 0negative bastard bleed out because of a 0,00001% chance. Makes sense!

snip

Wait... did they actually ask if you were gay during testing or something?

If you were really eager to donate, couldn't you just go to a clinic where they don't know you?

...

OT: I should and I probably would. However I won't because I will have completely forgotten about it within half an hour of making this post.

Come to think of it, I don't even know my blood type.

You have to fill out a form. If I would lie then I would be breaking the law. (breaking the law)
I'm not really interested in doing that.

I haven't actually gone and gotten checked by them but I read the quick guide on their website that gives you rough advice on when it's time to go an donate. On the page about sexlife it says in plain text. "[If you] Are male and have [ever] had sexual contact with another man. You can not donate blood." Plain and simple. I've also read in the local newspaper of perfectly healty would be donors not even being allowed to fill out the form, because their same sex boyfriend came with them and they casually mentioned that they were in a relationship.

http://geblod.nu/bli-blodgivare/kan-du-ge-blod/
Google translate is your friend.

Edit:
I just found something even more hilariously outdated borderline racist.

Stämmer detta på dig?

Då är chansen stor att du kan bli blodgivare.
* Är 18-60 år (18-60 years old)
* Är frisk (are healty)
* Väger minst 50 kilo (weighs at least 50 kilos]
* Har giltig ID-handling (have a valid ID)
* Förstår och talar svenska (understand and speak swedish)
* Har svenskt personnummer

The fuck? So if a perfectly healthy newly moved in German, that has been made a proper Swedish citizen, wants to donate blood, he is not allowed because he hasn't learned Swedish yet? What kind of bullshit is that?

Now now don't get unnecessarily hateful here. The chance of acquiring AIDS from male-to-male intercourse is several orders of magnitude higher than for any other demographic (if I remember correctly, around 46 times higher). Now this wouldn't be a problem with blood testing except for the fact that there is a 2 months period (after infection) in which HIV cannot be detected. So there is a reason why it tends to be rejected (though the life ban is silly, should be around 12 to 18 months to guarantee no approximate infection).

It's not the male/male sex. It's the unprotected anal sex with the hilariously dangerous levels of blood contact. If they changed their policy to "wait 18 months after anal sex" I would be perfectly happy with that. Or even "Wait X months after male/male anal sex" I would have been satisfied. Their policy strictly states ANY sexual contact EVER between men means prohibited for LIFE. No mention of what you actually DID with your partner or how long ago it was. There are some really specific examples regarding straight sex like "You had sex with a person that has been at risk of infection for blood borne diseases and there was a risk that you had blood contact with that person... Wait 12 months." "Touched a mans penis? GET THE FUCK OUT HOMO!"

 

[NLS]

My work day today consisted of getting more volunteers to donate blood, actually. Although not everyone out there qualifies because of age or risk of disease, there's a lot of good conversations to be had. Also, I started off by signing up myself as a donor, since I've somehow forgotten to do that earlier.
And to anyone out there who are screened out of donating blood: I'm sorry about it, but sometimes they just can't afford to do mistakes, and the automatic screening process isn't always 100% accurate either, there's always a chance of false positives or false negatives happening. If they do certain basic background checks on beforehand, they can rule out most of the false checks before things potentially go wrong.
And remember: Even if you can't donate blood, there's always another way you can help out

 

[Johann610]

I used to...before I got my 60-mile commute and lost my evenings, mornings, and etc...if I move closer, I will be doing it again.

 

[Vrach]

Sorry, no. There's too many rumours of selling blood in Serbia and I don't trust our health care system at all, I've been sick several times and they're ridiculously incompetent on every imaginable level and don't give two shits about any patient.

I am planning to get the fuck out of here though and as soon as I do, you can bet your ass I'll be donating blood whenever I get a chance. I've done it twice in the past and don't mind it at all (we get 0 benefits for it here), I like the idea of helping someone.

 

[MetalMonkey74]

i'd love to, but they dont let me coz i occasionally smoke weed.

kinda sucks

 

[everythingbeeps]

Doning isn't a real word dude...

Can't believe it took this long for someone to say this.

On topic: I'm way too uncomfortable with needles to donate blood. And I know I don't have a rare blood type, so I don't lose much sleep over it.

 

[IceStar100]

I would but most can't take me since I pass out. for some reason every time I do it I stop breathing. I don't mean I die or anything. I just get so focused on the needle I forget to well intake air.

 

[Athinira]

Short answer: No.

While i can sympathize with the people who need the blood, i need my blood myself because I'm following a strict training routine, and need all my strength and to be at my best.

 

[SirDoom]

I want to give blood just once to figure out what my blood type is. Other than that, no.

Nothing personal, it's just that there are a lot of people I don't want to have any part in saving, and there's no way to say "Don't use my blood to help these certain people". Yes, my moral compass is so screwed up that I'd refuse all the positives of giving blood to eliminate the chance that I am, in any way, helping someone I'd rather let die. Tough cookies. I'd expect anyone else to do the same for me.

That's me, the eternal pessimist.

 

[Robert Ewing]

I donate whenever I get the chance. I produce blood constantly, why not give some? I'm only gonna make more without even realizing it.

 

[qwertyzxy27]

Its illegal for me to give blood :/ cause I'm gay

 

[DarthFennec]

I don't give blood ...
I'm scared of needles ...

 

[McFlabbergasty]

When I was 12-ish, I was afraid of needles to the point of having to be held down by brute force so I could get a shot.

But something changed after a few years. I started donating blood in my college freshman year. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I didn't even know my college was holding a blood drive until the drive was in the process of occurring.

So I went into the ballroom where the Red Cross had their gear set up and dozens of other donors were filing through. I was pretty nervous the first time, I must admit. But after taking the survey and finding out that 1) I was a B+ type and 2) I was perfectly eligible to donate, I was filled with a sense of obligation to donate.

So when the moment finally came and the phlebotomist inserted the IV, something snapped. I'm pretty sure that was the moment I went from being a trypanophobe to a trypanophile.

Long story short: I am a regular donor. Not only because I like to help others but also because my arms have this craving to be pierced again by the needle every so often. B

efore anyone asks, I am not an intravenous drug user. I swear. I suspect, though, that I might be indulging certain masochistic tendencies under the guise of being altruistic.

As an aside...."doning"??? *facepalm*

 

[synthesis]

I'm feeding the vampires already, get a free health check and a T-shirt everytime... and yes i am in super healthy mega shape my blood is perfect and juicy.

 

[mcnally86]

Doning isn't a real word dude...

It is. The tradition of blood dawning goes back to the vikings. Kill their villagers then coat yourself with their blood.

donning present participle of don
Verb:
Put on (an item of clothing).

 

[Michael Hirst]

I've only done it twice so far but yeah I'll do it again