via GayNZ.comAt a time when the New Zealand Blood Service says the need for people to regularly donate blood is more urgent than ever, an independent expert review has confirmed that men who have had anal or oral sex with other men in the last five years should still be excluded from donating their blood.
The NZ Blood Service's rules currently exclude men who have had sex with men in the last ten years from giving blood, as that group of people are shown to be more likely to have contracted HIV. But the expert review paper released today recommends that the time period be reduced to five years, as this would not put the blood supply at any more risk of HIV exposure.
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[and then tell us, does this make any sense???]
We test blood before transfusions. The strategy works the same way for potential sex partners choosing to do this step TOGETHER BEFORE having sex, for A VARIETY of STDs. The strategy is going on now in clinics and doctors' offices unobserved by public health advocates, the strategy is ignored, the strategy even has been censored by public health advocates. Even as a thought experiment it evokes a different framework for discussing risk and ambiguity. Risking rejection appears to be more important than learning what the testing detects. Because no harm is done for trying the strategy, we public health advocates could try it ourselves observing what happens.
ReplyDeleteEven as a thought experiment it's interesting to see what questions come up! Can the thought experiment promote discussion?... that's a good thing!
Zak, the strategy that you so love to report on - please clarify where it is being observed and by whom? Please explain further - as it is not clear who these people are who are coming in to clinics and doctor's offices before any sexual contact and getting tested for HIV and STDs. It would be fascinating to learn how this strategy is actually being played out in the real, beyond a "thought experiment" world. And might you extrapolate on who is "censoring" this strategy? Please also share any published literature on the topic, any news articles, and any other kind of evidence you have that prove the observations you repeat here, and have repeated many, many, many times.
ReplyDelete