So yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the House of Lords to be apart of a big discussion hosted by a group called freedom to donate about the right for Gay men to be able to donate blood. Most people can give blood. As long as they are fit and healthy, weigh over 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and are aged between 17 and 66 (up to 70 if you have given blood before) you should be able to give blood. If you are over 70, you need to have given blood in the last two years to continue donating. However, If you are female, aged under 20 years old and weigh under 65kg (10st 3lb) and are under 168cm (5' 6") in height, they will need to estimate your blood volume before donating.
Did you know that 9%of donors live in Greater London and 7,000 units of blood are used to treat a range of health issues including cancer, A&E incidents and maternity care. You may not be able to donate blood if:-
you have had a serious illness or major surgery in the past
you have had complicated dental work (it is safe to donate blood 24 hours after having a filling or seven days after a simple extraction)
you have recently come into contact with an infectious disease
you have had certain immunisations within the last four weeks
you are currently on a hospital waiting list, or waiting to have tests
You should not give blood if:
you have a chesty cough, sore throat or an active cold sore
you are taking antibiotics or have finished a course of antibiotics in the last seven days
you are pregnant or have given birth in the last six months
you have had hepatitis A or jaundice in the last 12 months
you have had a tattoo, semi-permanent make up or any sort of body piercing in the last four months
a member of your immediate family has had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) – a rare condition that affects the nervous system and causes brain damage
you have had acupuncture in the last four months, unless this was done within the NHS or by a qualified healthcare professional registered with a statutory body
you have received human pituitary extract (a substance used in some growth hormone and fertility treatments before 1985)
you have received blood during the course of a medical treatment or procedure since 1980
You should not donate blood for 12 months after having sex with:
a commercial sex worker
someone who has injected drugs
someone who has haemophilia (a condition that stops your blood from clotting normally) or another type of blood disorder that required clotting factor treatment
someone who has been sexually active in parts of the world where HIV and AIDS are common – such as sub-Saharan Africa
a man who has had oral or anal sex with another man (if you are female)
a man (if you are male) – with or without a condom
You should never donate blood if you have ever:
had HIV
had hepatitis C
had syphilis
had human t-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)
injected yourself with drugs
worked as a commercial sex worker
As you can the list extensive but the point of yesterday's meeting was that any blood that is donated has to be extensively tested before it is used. Even now many people whom have a relative or loved one in hospital who need to have a blood transfusion for what ever reason still donate blood but can still lie on the question air but times have moved on and so has technology for blood to be tested to make sure it is safe to use. Ruth Hunt director of LGBT charity stonewall made a great speech about how we as gay men should have the right to take responsibility for our sexual actions and be trusted to declare or honest sexual health status. Join to campaign for the right to donate for information visit http://www.freedomtodonate.co.uk
