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IBTS discrimination

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  • 22-03-2011 2:22pm
    #1
    ULMarksman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭


    The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is on Campus Today, Tomorrow and Thursday. This Body discriminates against Gay men by denying them their civil right to donate Blood. As a Gay man I feel to is offensive to me as a healthy man who never has even had an STD never mind anything more serious. A petition is in the SU to request the IBTS discontinue this policy. Please sign.


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    #2
    Agent_99
    Registered Users Posts: 918 ✭✭✭Agent_99


    Have you spent one year or more in total/cumulatively in the UK* between 1980 and 1996, including living, working or on holidays?



    I can give blood either because of this clause! I have been tested regularly and had two children and returned to Ireland over 16 years ago.

    Some may beg to differ but I am not a Mad Cow !


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    #3
    ULMarksman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭ULMarksman


    Agent_99 wrote: »
    Have you spent one year or more in total/cumulatively in the UK* between 1980 and 1996, including living, working or on holidays?



    I can give blood either because of this clause! I have been tested regularly and had two children and returned to Ireland over 16 years ago.

    Some may beg to differ but I am not a Mad Cow !

    No I have always lived here but that is another disgraceful clause. We receive supplies from Spain and they allow Gay men to donate blood.


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    #4
    Gael23
    Registered Users Posts: 12,114 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    Theres so many regulations there it puts me off giving blood completly. I have a medical condition and even though I dont take medication, im still unsure if I would even be accepted


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    #5
    deandean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,234 ✭✭✭deandean


    OP I will leave it to the Blood Board to screen blood supplies.

    Not to you.

    Go make your political statements elsewhere. There are suitable forums.


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    #6
    sceptre
    Registered Users Posts: 19,608 ✭✭✭✭sceptre


    deandean wrote: »
    Go make your political statements elsewhere. There are suitable forums.
    Actually, given that the SU through Class Reps Council have passed policies in the past about blood donations to the IBTS in relation to this issue, it's perfectly legitimate to have a UL-centred discussion about this here.

    With mod hat on, if you've a problem with a post being here, what you do is report it using the little "report this post" button on the bottom-left of the post rather than telling the other forum member to sod off.


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    #7
    ULMarksman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭ULMarksman


    deandean wrote: »
    OP I will leave it to the Blood Board to screen blood supplies.

    Not to you.

    Go make your political statements elsewhere. There are suitable forums.

    Deandean that wasn't a political statement. It was stating a fact...... And just for your information, we receive blood supplies from Spain when we always don't have enough which does not discriminate and Gays can give Blood. Maybe the Gays in Spain don't get HIV..........


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    #8
    kingkane
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭kingkane


    ULMarksman wrote: »
    The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is on Campus Today, Tomorrow and Thursday. This Body discriminates against Gay men by denying them their civil right to donate Blood. As a Gay man I feel to is offensive to me as a healthy man who never has even had an STD never mind anything more serious. A petition is in the SU to request the IBTS discontinue this policy. Please sign.

    The IBTS does not discriminate on the basis of your sexuality. It discriminates on the basis of behaviour that it deems to be a higher risk of passing infections, one of those higher risk activity simply happens to be something that some gay men engage in. Just being gay doesn't disqualify you from donating.

    It's not like they are discriminating against people from the UK for being from the UK when they ask about did you live in the UK during the period when CJD came to the fore, they are doing it on the basis of a quantitative risk.


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    #9
    mud
    Registered Users Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭mud


    OP, have you tried contacting them directly?

    I was in for 2 hours today, told the nurse what I had eaten that morning (was actually eating it in front of her) she said fine just to drink water while I was waiting.

    After a long wait (totally understandable due to the volume of people) I was seen by a nurse who told me I couldn't donate as I hadn't eaten enough!

    Anger.

    I got in touch with the IBTS on their website and I was phoned back within 15 minutes to discuss the feedback I had given.

    The person was more than willing to look into the problem as she felt that no potential donor should be treated this way, that and the fact that they are crying out for donors meant that my experience was even more serious.

    So give contacting them directly a go. They seem more than willing to respond to feedback, even if it is negative.


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    #10
    Dr. Baltar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭Dr. Baltar


    Personally, I think the policy is also ridiculous. Originally set up in the 80s during the HIV scare, we've learned since then that AIDS is not a "gay disease".
    Besides, they screen every drop of blood they get anyway.

    Will certainly sign the petition myself.


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    #11
    GraGra90
    Registered Users Posts: 76 ✭✭GraGra90


    Personally I completely agree that they need to review the people they accept/reject for blood donation if they are so desperate for blood donations as this is clearly completely outdated.

    I refuse to donate for my own reason, I attempted to donate blood last year in UL. After waiting hours, going through all the screening etc. I was accepted to donate. I explained to them that I was petrified of needles which they seemed to pay no attention to. After they had basically stabbed me with the needle I complained a number of times that it was hurting me and that the pain was getting worse as I could feel blood pumping out - they paid no attention to this except saying I'd be fine til I actually passed out.

    I was left with bruising all around my arm extending up and down from my elbow including a bruise in the shape of a handmark as they couldn't get the needle out properly it would seem!

    After being so petrified going in there all I can say is never again! I know I was probably just unfortunate with the nurse I got that day but that kind of experience would put someone off for life.


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    #12
    PeakOutput
    Registered Users Posts: 7,639 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    It is a ridiculous rule alright.

    I tried to give blood and found out I couldn't due to having been pierced in the last year and then i was going to do it again but couldn't due to having been tattooed in the last year so i wont be bothering trying again for quite a while


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    #13
    PeakOutput
    Registered Users Posts: 7,639 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    deandean wrote: »
    OP I will leave it to the Blood Board to screen blood supplies.

    thats exactly what they should do, screen the blood from everyone not blanket ban anyone


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    #14
    TEMPLAR KNIGHT
    Closed Accounts Posts: 961 ✭✭✭TEMPLAR KNIGHT


    PeakOutput wrote: »
    It is a ridiculous rule alright.

    I tried to give blood and found out I couldn't due to having been pierced in the last year and then i was going to do it again but couldn't due to having been tattooed in the last year so i wont be bothering trying again for quite a while


    Same here due to tattoos and piercings I couldnt donate blood during the past three years, pity really as I would have


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    #15
    Lollymcd
    Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭Lollymcd


    ULMarksman wrote: »
    The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is on Campus Today, Tomorrow and Thursday. This Body discriminates against Gay men by denying them their civil right to donate Blood. As a Gay man I feel to is offensive to me as a healthy man who never has even had an STD never mind anything more serious. A petition is in the SU to request the IBTS discontinue this policy. Please sign.

    I never realised giving blood was a right... a responsibility maybe but not a right...


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    #16
    PeakOutput
    Registered Users Posts: 7,639 ✭✭✭PeakOutput


    Lollymcd wrote: »
    I never realised giving blood was a right... a responsibility maybe but not a right...

    I dont believe it is a right, however people DO have a right to NOT be discriminated against as a result of their sexuality


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    #17
    ad09
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭ad09


    Agent_99 wrote: »
    Have you spent one year or more in total/cumulatively in the UK* between 1980 and 1996, including living, working or on holidays?



    I can give blood either because of this clause! I have been tested regularly and had two children and returned to Ireland over 16 years ago.

    Some may beg to differ but I am not a Mad Cow !


    Just a point on this... There is still no test readily availabel to IBTS for CJD or whatever it's called(the human strain of Mad Cow), that is why they cannot take your blood. However we had a representative from IBTS at class reps council last year who said they are in the process of developing a test and should have it operating in the next year or 2 and then you wil be able to donate if you do not have the disease.
    PeakOutput wrote: »
    It is a ridiculous rule alright.

    I tried to give blood and found out I couldn't due to having been pierced in the last year and then i was going to do it again but couldn't due to having been tattooed in the last year so i wont be bothering trying again for quite a while

    Its 6 months after a piercing or tattoo. Went down to 4 months for a while but it's gone back up again.


    And finally on the main point again I want to add some information. While yes the form (if I remember rightly) does ask if you are a gay male and says no if you are there are also a few other things that get you disqualified. For example I think any woman who has had sex with a male who has had sex with another male is also disqualified. Anyone who has ever worked with monkeys is disquaslified. There are many ways that they blanket ban people. While yes they do test all the blood for alot of things it makes things alot easier and reduces "wasted"(for want of a better word) donation kits. I'm not saying all people in these blanket banned groups have diseases I'm just saying it is easier for them. I'm not denying that it is discrimination I'm just saying that they have a point that it does make their operation easier to run and more cost efficient which nowadays is the real point to these things.

    Not looking to start an arguement or get involved in one. I'm just here giving information to people who, having been rejected straight out from the start, may not have all of the facts that you get while you are there donating.

    Source:- I have donated 11 pints and been rejected once due to illness.


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