MacRumors 2012 Blood Drive

[tigress666]

Which one of you, by being anxious, can add so much as a cubits to his lifespan. Sure, give a little blood (that's sacred), preserve the life of the individual for a little longer and yet he/she still dies. Blood is sacred and I won't be giving mine. God's Kingdom will solve all other things.

Ah, I see, you're hiding behind your religion to have an excuse to not give blood and (think you're) making an appearance to be a good person.

I'll at least be honest and admit I don't do it cause I'm phobic of needles. I have no need to try to hide behind some religion so that I can think I'm still a good person. And BTW, you really think your God wants you not to try to save some one's life? And he's a good guy? Are you sure?

 

[cerote]

I donate plasma so I can't donate blood. (Or at least I think so because they ask each time I donate. If I am wrong please let me know and I will see if I can make it in to donate blood.)

Been donating plasma for 2 years twice a week. Had a few months off in there for a surgery and for my wife's lukemia.

Glad people donate blood because without people like you guys my wife would not have had blood for her during her stay in the hospital.

 

[Godozo]

I'm between donations...

Gave early-mid April, will give again early June.

Have given since early college, although what I've given has changed along with circumstances, wishes and limitations. Now I do both Platelets and Whole Blood every eight weeks or so. Would do platelets every other week, but the body can't handle it.

As for the "if you, a male, have had sex with a male, even once" question - one has to wonder just how long they figure the HIV virus can lie dormant in a body. Thirty-five plus years seems like a long time to hold a rapidly-changing retrovirus like HIV (which basically outadapts and outlasts a human body, from my understanding) at bay.

 

[dmk1974]

I donate plasma so I can't donate blood. (Or at least I think so because they ask each time I donate. If I am wrong please let me know and I will see if I can make it in to donate blood.)

Been donating plasma for 2 years twice a week. Had a few months off in there for a surgery and for my wife's lukemia.

Glad people donate blood because without people like you guys my wife would not have had blood for her during her stay in the hospital.

In the US, donating plasma on an apheresis system can be done twice a week because it it mostly water and in that donation, your red calls are returned to you. If you donate whole blood which is approximately 40% red blood cells (depending on your hematocrit), you will have an 8 week deferral. Some automated collection systems can take a double-red cell unit from you in which case you would be deferred 16 weeks.

 

[AidenShaw]

thank you, MR members

Thank you to all who are protesting the "if you've ever had sex with another man you can't give blood" rule.

It's stupid, and has no scientific basis.

It's nice to see that common sense has so much support on this issue.

And it's disappointing that Macrumours supports the continuing discrimination by participating in this drive.

 

[Justim]

I would but apparently my blood is gay. I can only imagine how many people would refuse my life saving blood on heir death bed because of an orientation.

Anyway, good cause. Wish I could join in.

Edit: Wow. I'm extremely fascinated over the gay/blood responses that have been posted. Thank you to the supporters of getting rid of this rule.

Maybe we should create a petition?

 

[AidenShaw]

just say no

Edit: Wow. I'm extremely fascinated over the gay/blood responses that have been posted. Thank you to the supporters of getting rid of this rule.

Maybe we should create a petition?

Unfortunately, a petition won't be nearly as effective as cutting off the blood supply.

Nothing will change the policy faster than those deemed "healthy" refusing to donate.

 

[carson5]

13 years in a monogomous male-male relationship and I, too, am a pariah.

--Trauma surgeon who gets reminded every time he orders blood for a patient.

Today is our 19th anniversary - monogamous male/male relationship, can't donate blood.

Also discovered I can't be an organ donor (had been ever since I got my license), so I had to call and have myself removed.

I guess someone would rather die... pity.

 

[carson5]

Unfortunately, a petition won't be nearly as effective as cutting off the blood supply.

Nothing will change the policy faster than those deemed "healthy" refusing to donate.

While I don't agree with the policy and yes it's clearly discrimination - I don't think it's more important than the lives of many many people who would surely die if what you were advocating was implemented.

Encouraging people to take measures that would cause loss of life is ignorant, selfish, shocking, and quite frankly casts a poor light on the gay community.

As another poster stated, it's the recipients that would suffer and die because of this, not the policy makers.

Your advocacy smacks of zealotry and I find it disappointing.

 

[FreeState]

That's a disappointing point of view. So, say you were to give blood and save someone's life. That person who would have died and gone to hell eventually gets saved. Then they become a famous evangelist and led 10,000 people to salvation. Or even cure a disease like HIV/AIDS and save millions of lives. You don't think that would help the kingdom?

Losing my blood temporarily is a minor thing that can save someone's life. After all, my body will make more.

I have a feeling the person you are referring to is a Jahovah's Witness see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah's_Witnesses_and_blood_transfusions

Adding my I'd donate if they would allow me and it was needed (B+ blood, HIV- gay man)

 

[Shaun.P]

I gave blood on the way home from work...

Post it here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1365614/


Well done!!!

 

[designgeek]

I would donate but my blood's usually about 40 proof and I don't think they would like that.

 

[weckart]

I would donate but my blood's usually about 40 proof and I don't think they would like that.

On the other hand, it would keep for longer. A lot of donated blood never gets used as it reaches its use-by date.

 

[wrkactjob]

God if they can knock up a burger in a Petrie dish now in some laboratory can't they make blood yet?

What do we pay scientists to do?

Burgers first eh?

Pah!

 

[K4LK]

Great job guys and gals. Wish I could donate but I was deferred due to an implanted defibrillator

 

[Hobbis]

God if they can knock up a burger in a Petrie dish now in some laboratory can't they make blood yet?

What do we pay scientists to do?

Burgers first eh?

Pah!

There actually have been some pretty impressive strides made with artificial blood products, but (I'm sure this is a shock), they are expensive as hell. And when you consider that there are a number of conditions that can require multiple units of transfusion every day... As is the problem with so many innovations (in medicine and elsewhere), it's not just the technology, it's the scaling.

 

[BenHoleton]

I always feel left out of these blood drives

Lived in too many crazy places. My blood has been blacklisted. T.T

Someone donate an extra couple o' pints for me!

Same here. i spend too much time in third world countries to be able to donate. But a great cause!

 

[dynamojoe]

Thanks to everyone donating around the country. I had adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and received many, many transfusions of both blood and platelets over the course of my treatment. I'm around today because of the generosity of others.

I joined the one gallon club with a double-red donation on March 1st. On March 8th my daughter was diagnosed with ALL. It's one thing to be a donor and feel good about it; it's quite another to see someone else's generosity literally keeping your child alive. (they were able to induce remission and her prospects are very good so far)

I'm chomping at the bit to donate again (can't until June 16th) and I'm going to probably switch over to platelet donations since they can take them more often.

 

[ng7apoc]

I personally have received donated blood on more than one occasion and would like to take this opportunity to say to all of you who donate blood - thank you. It is truly appreciated in a way thats so difficult to put into words.

The thought that a complete stranger would actively go out of his or her way to undergo a process that can be painful to some or induce fear in those with needle phobia for the purpose of helping someone they may never even meet is a wonderful thing.

 

[Doctor Q]

Maybe we should create a petition?

Someone did. About 3800 signatures so far.

 

[PvilleTom]

I will not donate blood during May.

I donated whole blood in April and won't be eligible again until June 19.

 

[Daws001]

I use to give blood (even though I'm gay) because the law is dumb, I know I'm healthy/disease free, and it was for a good cause I believed in. I'd just lie on the sleeping with men question.

Then I went to a blood drive at a hospital (this was a few months after 9/11) and instead of just letting us fill out the questionnaire, a doctor filled it out as she asked us the questions. So, I lied to her face about sleeping with men, gave blood, and felt horrible afterwards.

Last time I gave blood.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

Can't figure out how to post a pic from the ipadn


Done

 

[rcappo]

I'm already signed up for the 14th. I get another t-shirt which means one less day of laundry.

 

[AidenShaw]

While I don't agree with the policy and yes it's clearly discrimination - I don't think it's more important than the lives of many many people who would surely die if what you were advocating was implemented.

Encouraging people to take measures that would cause loss of life is ignorant, selfish, shocking, and quite frankly casts a poor light on the gay community.

As another poster stated, it's the recipients that would suffer and die because of this, not the policy makers.

Your advocacy smacks of zealotry and I find it disappointing.

My post was a lament, not a call to action. I can understand how it could be interpreted as the latter, though. I apologize for the ambiguity.

Unfortunately, society and organizations rarely "right wrongs" simply because they see discrimination and decide to fix it. It usually takes some action to force the issue, and make it apparent that the organization needs to right the wrong in order to meet its goals.

Maybe instead of getting the breeders to boycott blood drives, we should encourage the rest of us to flood them. Answer the questions honestly, and leave when you're rejected. If the blood drives report to the home office that 10%/20%/30% of the volunteers are rejected due to the MMLTM clause, then perhaps things will change sooner.

("MMLTM" is "Men Making Love To Men" - much better than the MSM acronym.)