Donating Blood and Homosexuality

[Goafer]

But...but you're not allowed! yeah i just schoolboy called you gay sorry :x

 

Ooh, you bitch!

[Hamishmash]

There's also the fact that gay people are far more likely to go and get tested for AIDs than straight people.

[Rummy]

Excuse me for being a bitch about it, but for some reason I really hate it when people refer to HIV as AIDS! HIV is the virus that infects, AIDS is the eventual syndrome someone suffers as a byproduct of being actively infected with the virus.

[Slaggis]

Not sure if Mr-paul's post covered it earlier as I skimmed (gay guy on telly that I want to watch :P)...

 

AIDs/HIV does not immediately show up in blood screenings so there's an increased risk with the new 10-year plan with transmitting the disease. Regardless of morality, there will likely be a rise in HIV in blood transfusions now -- albeit minute.

 

In 1998/1999, 24 people in Italy were infected with HIV through blood donations. The ban was lifted in 2001, and the number has been decreasing ever since, being only 4 in 2004. They now focus on the safety of sexual practice, rather than the actual act itself. Something this county should look into.

[heroicjanitor]

There's also the fact that gay people are far more likely to go and get tested for AIDs than straight people.

 

Proof? Why does it spread so much then?

[Slaggis]

It's just common sense. How many of your heterosexual friends regally get tested for HIV? I'm only guessing here, but I'd say not many. The majority of my friends actively engaging on gay sex get tested every 6 months. Not wanting to generalise, but it really is blatant that gays are more likely to get themselves tested.

 

But again, Italy is doing it right. Looking at the safety of the sex, rather than the act itself. No discrimination, and it's had positive effects.

[jayseven]

"In total 25,656 cases of HIV infection were diagnosed and reported for 2008 by 27 of the 30 EU/EEA countries (61 cases per million population); data were missing for Austria, Denmark and Liechtenstein; data from Spain and Italy do not have a national coverage"

 

"The predominant mode of transmission is sexual contact among men who have sex with men (MSM) (40%), followed by heterosexual contact (29%), when individuals from countries with generalised epidemics (19% of all diagnosed HIV cases) are excluded. Injecting drug use accounted for 6% of diagnosed HIV cases."

 

"The number of HIV cases among men who have sex with men (MSM) has increased by 19% between 2004 and 2008 "

 

 

(note the 56.7% rise for italy)

 

"The highest proportion of the total number of HIV cases in EU/EFTA countries was reported among MSM."

 

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=19422

 

Just a few wildly annoying quotes to throw in for no reason other to cause temper tantrums.

 

Feel free to provide your own list of citations. Far more interesting than some numbers pulled out of a hat. The only thing I found in my 2-minute search was this. I also found somewhere that italy has an opt-out thing with blood; something about you only being allowed to give blood if you have a test for HIV. I think. I've closed the tab and forgotten, so anything you've got to read is cool

 

Just to reiterate; if hiv is more prevailant in individuals who have bum sex then it's common sense for people who have bum sex to have themselves tested more often. Equally, it's common sense to be more conservative about having blood from bumsexers, when, despite how often you personally may test, there's no guarentee that everyone will. Again, as you yourself admit, plenty of people will go ahead and donate anyway. People like you are confident you do not have the disease. If everyone was tested all the time then surely everyone would know who not to have sex with, and nobody would have to be tested again six months down the line.

 

And stuff. Things. I'm only replying because you quoted me directly.

[heroicjanitor]

Just to reiterate; if hiv is more prevailant in individuals who have bum sex then it's common sense for people who have bum sex to have themselves tested more often.

 

But shouldn't that cause the rate of spreading to slow down? Unless people with hiv don't give a shit and infect people anyway.

[jayseven]

Well it should casuse the rate of diagnosed HIV to go up... People who don't test who have HIV (there will be some!) will continue, né?

[Charlie]

It's just common sense. How many of your heterosexual friends regally get tested for HIV? I'm only guessing here, but I'd say not many. The majority of my friends actively engaging on gay sex get tested every 6 months. Not wanting to generalise, but it really is blatant that gays are more likely to get themselves tested.

 

What a load of shite. You're making sweeping generalisations from your own group of peers. I know loads of heterosexuals who regularly get tested, I also know gay people who get tested. But does that actually mean anything in the big picture? Of course it doesn't.

 

You can't say things like that without evidence.

[Rummy]

He's got evidence though! He knows some people!