(no subject)

[geminigirl]

Most US people (although non-us people, I'd be interested in your answers too...)

Call the Red Cross near you. (in the US, it's 1-800-give life)

Ask them if female partners of men who have had sex with men since 1977 are automatically deferred.

Then let me know where you are, and what the Red Cross said.

Thanks.

(I called the Red Cross near me to find out the answer and was told no. I want to find out how accurate this answer is, and whether it's consistent.)

Comments

My experience

[rapha.livejournal.com]

Because I had "sexual contact" with a man that had "sexual contact" with another man since 1977. I was deferred for 1 year.

[melebeth]

Me too. In Baltimore. A few years ago. I haven't been eligible to give blood in a long time (bisexual boyfriends and bodyart), and now that they've added the UK restrictions I'm probably not going to be again. If you want me to check in NY I will, though.

[geminigirl]

Please do check for me. I'm mostly curious about female partners of MSM.

[melebeth]

*nod* I'm curious too since I thought it was a national policy.

Actually, you know... this would be a good short research paper if you did it right Miss Wants to Go to Graduate School. It would, obviously, take more time on your part, but...

[geminigirl]

I thought about that. But I'd need to develop methodology and spend some more time working on it. But it is interesting, and I would like to know.

Can you help me get it set up?

[melebeth]

Yeah. No problem. I'll help you design it and write it up, and you can have the joy of making phone calls (I'll probably help, I'm just being snarky today ;) ) I actually know exactly how you want to do it depending on whether you think it's likely to vary on a state or county level. Although I actually have a way of dealing with that question that wouldn't make you want to hit your head on a wall, so anyway... yes. We can do this. We can do it for free, and probably get it published (assuming there actually are variances). Oh! And we should almost certainly not only look at female partners of MSM. Comparing a sexual and a non sexual deferral would be quite useful. And you can do both on a single phone call if you pick it right. This is a good idea. I like this idea. "Is Red Cross Defferal Policy implemented universally, or does it vary by geographic area (read political climate)?"

[geminigirl]

No way? You mean my random dumb question actually might be significant and stuff?

I really really wanna do this.

(If it's not too overwhelming, maybe even get it together for the APHA meeting that you sent me the RFP for?)

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

The Red Cross doesn't collect blood here. The Indiana Blood Center (http://www.cirbc.org/) does, and their policy is to not allow female partners of men who have had sex with other men to donate.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

I'm in (far western) MA, and believe I've had friends turned down, but I'm not certain. In any case, I've got a call out and I'll let you know the verdict.

[scherzoid.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that men who have had sex with another man since 1977 are DQ. Women who WITHIN THE PAST YEAR have had sex with a man who's had sex with another man since 1977 are DQ.

I'm not going to call the local Red Cross, since I'm local to you. :)

[geminigirl]

Would you, actually? I'm curious to see if you get the same answer as I got...

(I know it sounds silly, but I wonder if the woman understood what I wanted to know.)

I'm going to call Inova tomorrow, too.

[fortryll.livejournal.com]

Scherz's answer is identical to both the Richmond policy at the Virginia Blood Service (Red Cross doesn't do blood donation there) and when I called a month or two ago up here to see - men, never. women, 1 year. Then again, I now have so many reasons that they don't want my blood, I don't much care anymore *grump*.

[sweetmmeblue.livejournal.com]

My question is how they define "had sex". If there was no penetration but there was other sexual contact does that count as sex?

I'll call for you tomorrow after my other stuff is taken care of.

[tanseytoes.livejournal.com]

In the late 90's I was giving blood at one of the mobile units, and it was the first time I had been asked, I answered and they said I could NEVER donate. I've never bothered to try again. I'm also so anemic that they never want it, but I'll call tomorrow to see what they say. I've never heard of the 1 year rule, and yeah, they didn't specify "sexual contact" so it could be very interesting to see what circumstances yield what answers.

Re:

[rdhdsnippet.livejournal.com]

I think the "one year rule" for women is newish. I was rather (somewhat pleasantly) taken aback when I saw it posted somewhere or another not all that long ago. I was still sad to see the permanent deferral for men, but sometimes it takes baby steps...

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Last time I tried to give blood (1 or 2 years ago) I was declined on that basis.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

... in San Jose.

[lovingboth]

That sounds familiar, I think it's what's in the policies of the Blood Transfusion Service here.

People who've been (or slept with) prostitutes are barred too.

Re:

[lovingboth]

Ah, it's changed.

Never: MSM, prostitutes, IV drug users etc

12 months: people who've been sexual with the above.

http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/flash_questions.html

Re:

[geminigirl]

Interesting.

I got curious cause I know there's a blood shortage, and they've been asking me to give again. I wanted to find out if I was allowed to or not, and when I'd be allowed to.

[veryfineredwine.livejournal.com]

The Canadian Blood Services (everywhere except Quebec) and Hema-Quebec
use, AFAIK, rules set down by the federal health department. MSM are
barred for life from donating, and female partners of MSM are deferred for
one year after the last sexual contact. There was a scandal some time ago
when a gay man did not self-disclose, donated blood, and then
(anonymously) told CBS that he had donated.

Re: Giving blood

[geminigirl]

Despite what the guidelines say, there's apparently no consistency in the application of them...which was actually my initial question; sometimes I'm told permanent deferral, sometimes it's one year, and sometimes not at all.

I'll flesh it out into more serious research later on.