AS MANY are aware, the University community is in the middle of its second annual Crimson War Blood Drive. Held primarily by the Inter-Fraternity Council and Virginia Blood Services, it's a competition of sorts with the University of Maryland to see which school can raise more units of blood. With the recent hurricane disasters, the sponsoring groups are encouraging every student to come out to one of their "bloodmobiles" in front of the Chemistry Building and Clark Hall. There's just one problem: I, along with many members of the IFC and broader University community, don't have the ability to donate blood.
Based on a 1983 recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration, every blood donation service across the country declines the donation of blood from men that have had "sexual contact" with another man since 1977. Furthermore, these men are then placed on a list forbidding them from ever giving blood. This recommendation is founded on discriminatory concepts and outdated statistics.
The sanction denying men who have had sex with men the opportunity to give blood is founded on stereotypes that most have HIV or AIDS. One very simple reply would be that all blood donations are already screened for HIV. According to the Virginia Blood Services Web site, "blood is tested for hepatitis B and C, HIV, certain other viruses and syphilis" and if the "blood tests positive it will not be given to a patient." What's the point in refusing blood that could possibly have the HIV antibody when each and every person's blood is screened for it? While there is a two-week window where HIV is undetectable, even a policy allowing people to donate a month after unsafe sex would be better.
Men who have sex with men are also becoming more cautious when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Gay men are now more likely to practice safer sex than heterosexual men. A September 2005 Centers for Disease Control report stated that 91 percent of men who'd ever had sexual contact with another man used a condom during their latest sexual encounter. This compares to 39 percent of men who have had at least one sexual partner (without specifying gender) and 65 percent for men who have not been married. Because of this and other factors, men who have had sexual contact with other men no longer have the fastest growing rate of HIV infections among demographic groups, according to another CDC report -- that group is not gays, bisexuals or lesbians. Imagine screening blood based on the highest affected gender or race. This policy is blatantly discriminatory.
Some might suggest that the policy isn't discriminatory because celibate gay and bisexual men can give blood. This isn't valid; heterosexual sexual activities associated with high risk behaviors are never banned from giving blood for life, unless it is illegal such as sex with a prostitute. Is gay sex that comparable to illegal activities? Unprotected heterosexual sex with multiple partners isn't even an issue in blood donation. Women who sleep with men who have slept with other men only have to wait 12 months to donate blood.
Some suggest lying on the questionnaire which determines your ability to give blood, but in order to accomplish what? Besides betraying our deeply rooted respect for the honor, lying on the donation form would qualify as a federal offense. Anyone who did that would be placed in jail -- which would only bar someone from giving blood for 12 months.
A new CIO on Grounds, Queer and Allied Activism (QuAA) passed out literature and created a petition to the FDA about this issue Monday during the blood drive. Neither their intentions then nor mine now is to deter a capable person from donating blood. My primary goal is education and my desire is to someday be included in this affirming activity. Please write to important blood donation service personnel, your representatives and to the FDA directly and ask them to support full inclusion of gay and bisexual men in blood donation. In 2000, a vote was taken by the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee on whether or not to uphold the recommendation. The vote was seven to six in favor. That tally could easily be swayed with a flux of supportive letters from students and officials. People like me would really enjoy saving up to three lives with each blood donation. And getting that free Crimson War t-shirt.
Blake Wilding is a third year in the College. He is a co-vice president of the Queer Student Union and a member of Queer and Allied Activism.
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