Healthy People Cannot Give Blood Essay -- Health

Everyone has seen the horror movie narrative time and time again. One person watches someone they love be put into a horrifying circumstance while being nothing but a helpless bystander, watching through a window or a television screen. Watching the bystander is almost as tragic as watching the victim, as the innate compulsion of a human to help others is relatable and recognizable to everyone. Unfortunately, there is a community in today’s world that is prevented from helping fellow humans in a simple act of charity some may take for granted: giving blood. Current United States policy bans homosexual men from being blood donors, regardless of testing and other standard procedures, such as testing blood for transmittable diseases and administering extensive questionnaires regarding risk factors of blood-borne illnesses (American Red Cross, 2012). This policy preventing men who have sex with other men (MSM) from donating blood should be modified, as advancements in technology h ave eliminated the high safety concern that once made the policy the best logical solution for safe blood transfusion (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). Policies restricting blood donors cover a wide range of potential issues with the blood supply. For the most part, these policies are very logical and give a greater piece of mind to those receiving blood; however, the policy regarding homosexual men is both outdated and illogical. As outlined on the United States Food and Drug Administration’s website (2009), no man who has had sex with another man since 1977, regardless of protective barriers or number of partners, may donate blood at any point after intercourse. Many people are unaware of this policy; it has not received attention in the... ...eller, A. J. (2010, December). No evidence of a significantly increased risk of transfusion-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus infection in Australia subsequent to implementing a 12-month deferral for men who have had sex with other men. Transfusion, 50(12), 2722-2730. doi:10.1111/j.1537-2995.2010.02793.x Thrasher, S. W. (2009). Blood, sex, and the FDA. Advocate, (1032), 50-53. The Constitution of the United States. Amendment 1. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, (2009). Blood donations from men who have sex with other men questions and answers. Retrieved from U.S. Food and Drug Administration website: http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/bloodbloodproducts/questionsaboutblood/ucm108186.htm Waters, A. (2011). FROM THE HEART. Nursing Standard, 25(29), 24-25. (2012). In American Red Cross. Retrieved March 29, 2012, from http://www.redcross.org/