The United States requires gay male blood donors to have been celibate for 12 months before donating blood. Sad to say I think I'm almost there!
Israel has taken the step to be more civilized than we are about blood donations from men whom have sex with men after 1979.
In a policy change, gay men will be allowed to freely donate blood in Israel. In June of last year, Israel was like the US and had established the 1 year celibacy rule via the Israeli Health Ministry (IHM). The IHM stressed that the the blood will be checked for certain infectious diseases at the time of donation, and then frozen for four months and checked again in a special double testing system.
The new system was announced on Wednesday by the Health Ministry and Magen David Adom.
Knesset law maker Meirav Ben-Ari of the Kulanu Party, worked together with the Israel Aids Task Force and Israel’s LGBT Task Force to craft the new testing system, which is being implemented for a two-year trial period starting in April.
Yay! Easy! Right? Hell no!
The new option will differ from a regular blood donation and will require persistence and determination on the part of the donor.
Anyone who wants to donate with the plasma procedure will have to mark the checkbox on the donor form next to a new line that will read, “I agree to participate in the plasma freezing project.” After the donation, the blood will go through the routine tests. If it is found to be normal, the plasma, which is 55 percent of the blood’s volume and contains no blood cells, will be separated and preserved while the rest of the blood fluid will not be used.
The plasma will be frozen for four months, at which time the donor will have to return and give another unit of blood. If the second donation is sound, the plasma from the previous donation will be used. The plasma from the new donation will be frozen for possible use four months later, assuming the donor is prepared to return again. – haazret.com
I think I just got lost there. So why will Israeli men that have sex with other men that want to donate blood have to come back, is it three times, to donate? Freezing and adding and testing and … my oh my … what a difference 3.89% makes.
According to the Virtual AIDS Office of Hong Kong, the number of people who contracted HIV from homosexual sex (38 percent) is only slightly higher than those who contracted it from heterosexual sex (35 percent). What the heck is going on with the 16.93% unknown? Are they turned away? Asked about their celibacy? Are they going to get the freezing treatment in Israel?
I found the above map to be a little eye opening. Red are the we are never wanted to give countries. Yellow are the sure, just be lonely and don't have sex for a year, and the green, RUSSIA! UKRAINE! they have no issue with us donating.
So bravo Israel for accepting our blood (after it's frozen and we donate again and it's frozen and we donate again and it's frozen and we ..as well it's a 2 year trial starting in 3 months) instead of asking us to not have sex for a year and then donate.
We're getting there!