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The US Food and Drug Administration has decided to retain current rules on gay and bisexual men donating blood.
They said there was still a tiny but "unacceptable" increased risk of HIV transmission to blood recipients.
The UK has similarly restrictive laws for gay and bisexual men who want to donate blood, although they are not barred from donating their organs.
However, heterosexual men and women who have had sex with a person at risk of HIV must only defer from donating for 12 months
A group of university students from Halifax are taking to the streets to protest a long-standing ban by the Canadian Blood Services.
The ban, referred to as MSM by the service, states that gay men are not permitted to donate blood if they have had sex with another man, even once, since 1977.
www.globalregina.com...
Around 48% of all people diagnosed with AIDS in America were probably infected with HIV through male-to-male sexual contact, while people exposed through heterosexual contact comprise around 17% total AIDS cases.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the number of heterosexual infections has increased dramatically. According to CDC estimates, heterosexual contact led to about one third of new AIDS diagnoses and one third of new HIV diagnoses in 2006.
www.avert.org...
Is there a higher chance of HIV in gay people?
I know doctors who say yes.
Of course the fact that in the U.S. people who have intercourse with HIV infected partners can donate after 12 months is absolutely ridiculous, no argument there.
Originally posted by tothetenthpower
The statistics may show that gays have higher probability of HIV, but the testing is there now.
There's really no point in upholding the ban now that we have adequate testing to prevent any "dirty" blood from getting through.
This measure would just encourage people to lie about it on the forms, further endangering the supply.
~Keeper
Originally posted by bvproductions
reply to post by empireofpain
And where do these stats come from?
You're telling me that heterosexual people don't have crazy lives? Please...
I'm straight, and I've seen way more crazy stuff from heterosexual people than gays.
The problem is gay and bisexual men do much more risky sexual behavior then heterosexual men and women.
Gay men tend to have much more promiscious sexual lives.
60% of all gay relationships are non-monogamous.
There is even gay clubs with large bowls of condoms for free.
Originally posted by Target Earth
Originally posted by bvproductions
reply to post by empireofpain
And where do these stats come from?
You're telling me that heterosexual people don't have crazy lives? Please...
I'm straight, and I've seen way more crazy stuff from heterosexual people than gays.
it has nothing to do with crazy... The HIV virus is more suited for easy transfer with gay men..I don't want to get in to detail... but it's the fluid transfer..
the odds of a heterosexual couple getting infected is much smaller, then a homosexual couple. HIV is transmitted perfectly trough blood... but with other fluids it takes a lot of the virus to get you sick.
Originally posted by la2
reply to post by ModernAcademia
Those figures are ridiculous, and 3 years out of date, and maybe all it does say is that sex education in the US isnt what it should be, also, might it just be the fact that gay people are more likely to get tested than straight people?
Originally posted by Target Earth
reply to post by tothetenthpower
well without getting to graphic yes, unless the heterosexual couple has let us say.... a kind of sex that that involves more tissue tearing and blood transfer. It is much harder to spread HIV through traditional intercourse. you need a certain amount of the virus and sea monkeys and veggie secretions don't transfer it as well... sorry about the lame word change...I'm sure you get it.