Why can't you donate blood?

Ilyana 2.0 · 19-01-2014 08:31PM

I had donated three times until I found out last summer that I'm anaemic so that rules me out for a while. I'm also terribly prone to jellylegs after donations so they've asked me not to come back for a few years.

Shame because I'm O+ but them's the rules!

MissD93 · 19-01-2014 08:33PM

i had two blood transfusions before , and its a shame because i really want to donate, it seems like such a stupid rule

Cian92 · 19-01-2014 08:36PM

Sister Assumpta wrote: »

But if it is so difficult to find suitable and willing blood donors, I would suggest the last thing we should be doing is applying a blanket ban on willing individuals for some very dubious reasons... having ever engaged in MSM sex, even with protection... having lived in the UK at a certain time... is this really wise?

After all the scandals in the past with dodgy blood and with a family member who received a donation of the dodgy blood, I completely understand why they are so strict.

We have to be very strict if people are to have confidence in our blood service. I don't care if we upset people who will cry discrimination, safety comes before discrimination - no matter who it upsets.

b_mac · 19-01-2014 08:39PM

Self prescribed TRT

cardwizzard · 19-01-2014 08:43PM

Yeah can't donate because I'm from the north. What that has to do with it puzzled me, but havnt being back.

deise08 · 19-01-2014 08:50PM

Is it just male anal that excludes you? What I mean is if you're a girl and had anal does that stop you being able to give?

efb · 19-01-2014 08:56PM

deise08 wrote: »

Is it just male anal that excludes you? What I mean is if you're a girl and had anal does that stop you being able to give?

msm only unless your a lady that had sex with a guy who had sex with a guy

deise08 · 19-01-2014 08:59PM

efb wrote: »

msm only unless your a lady that had sex with a guy who had sex with a guy

Not that I know of anyway

That is fair strict.surely there's as much risk in hetro?

efb · 19-01-2014 09:00PM

deise08 wrote: »

Not that I know of anyway

That is fair strict.surely there's as much risk in hetro?

not really its the easy tearing of the anal tissue and the historic high aids rate.

Spunge · 19-01-2014 09:02PM

b_mac wrote: »

Self prescribed TRT

:pac:

i did that too

The Th!ng · 19-01-2014 09:04PM

Because I am not Human.

Steven81 · 19-01-2014 09:09PM

Born in the UK in 1981, lived there until 1984 so wasn't on solid foods but not allowed to give the blood,i rang to see could I still give it but no.

I am A negative so not one of the common groups too.

RhubarbCrumble · 19-01-2014 09:10PM

Senecio wrote: »

My wife tried to donate once but was refused because she was too light. She's only 5 foot and a very fit personal trainer but at 44.5kg she was 0.5kg under the limit.

It's actually 50kg Senecio, so she definitely couldn't. I'm 5 3" and 47kg, so they won't take mine either.

Sir Arthur Daley · 19-01-2014 09:10PM

I pass out when i see blood or needles so i couldnt donate on those two issues.

J_E · 19-01-2014 09:18PM

deise08 wrote: »

Is it just male anal that excludes you? What I mean is if you're a girl and had anal does that stop you being able to give?

They're just going by demographics. HIV is not the gay disease some people make it out to be, at least younger generations are aware of that and practice safe sex. The highest demographic is men who have sex with men though (they call it MSM as opposed to gay, as there are quite a few men out there who have slept with men and won't admit it/in relationship with women)

Having said that, there's a survey they did in 2011 of people living with HIV, and women accounted for 16m out of 34m, so it's definitely not strictly male.

efb · 19-01-2014 09:24PM

http://www.dublinaidsalliance.ie/index.php?page=latest-statistics

Latest statistics

Irish Statistics: HIV

Click here for the most recent Irish HIV data from the HSE‐Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

2012 Summary:

341 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2012.
244 were male and 97 were female.
Average age of new diagnosis was 33.
The highest proportion of new diagnoses in 2012 (48.7%) were among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Heterosexual contact accounted for 38.1% of new diagnoses. Among the heterosexual cases, 63% were among individuals originating from countries with generalised epidemics, 8% had a high‐risk partner or a partner known to be HIV positive and 6% had a partner originating from a country with a generalised epidemic.
4% of new diagnoses were among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs).
Five Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) cases were diagnosed.
Ireland was reported as the country of birth for 123 new diagnoses (36.1%) Of the 162 not born in Ireland, 52% were born in sub‐Saharan Africa, 15% were born in Latin America, 13% were born in Central and Eastern Europe and 12% were born in Western Europe. Information on geographic origin was unavailable for 56 cases

\\

Howard Juneau · 19-01-2014 09:24PM

deise08 wrote: »

Is it just male anal that excludes you? What I mean is if you're a girl and had anal does that stop you being able to give?

Oh it seems you will still be able to receive

Zillah · 19-01-2014 09:25PM

I'm a woman who had protected sex with a man who had protected sex with a man previously - that forbids me from donating blood.

The fact that I had previously been having unprotected sex with strange men for a decade made no impact on my ability to donate blood.

(I'm not actually, but that's how the rules work - they're so out of date and pig-headed that it's ridiculous. Gay's are dirty and dangerous, apparently, regardless of their own history.)

DM addict · 19-01-2014 09:28PM

Born in UK in 80's for me. Also recently back from South Africa which would put a temporary block on donating.

When I was still living in the UK I would donate as frequently as possible, and if I'm back for more than a few days I try to sneak a donation in.

pow wow · 19-01-2014 09:31PM

I had a mild reaction to a prescription drug when I was a kid. Very mild. The nurse read that as anaphylaxis and sent me home. I got a cup of Club Orange and a mini Dairy Milk for my trouble though.

sullivlo · 19-01-2014 09:40PM

spiralism wrote: »

Phobia of needles.

I've this. But I'm getting better.

I have tried to give blood a few times but I have awful veins so they could never find them.

I will persevere though. One day they'll find a vein.

Daith · 19-01-2014 10:04PM

Cian92 wrote: »

After all the scandals in the past with dodgy blood and with a family member who received a donation of the dodgy blood, I completely understand why they are so strict.

We have to be very strict if people are to have confidence in our blood service. I don't care if we upset people who will cry discrimination, safety comes before discrimination - no matter who it upsets.

I don't mind at all now and am slightly jaded by it. However I suspect that I get STD tested more than most people who donate blood.

J_E · 19-01-2014 10:25PM

Daith wrote: »

I don't mind at all now and am slightly jaded by it. However I suspect that I get STD tested more than most people who donate blood.

Same story here.

ENMcD · 19-01-2014 10:28PM

anemia, terrified of needles (pass out every time taking bloods) and tiny veins resulting in being black and blue!

Pinch Flat · 19-01-2014 10:30PM

Used to give blood all the time, then lived in London 1995 - 2000. Cant do anymore due to risk of CJD

SurferRosa · 19-01-2014 10:31PM

No Pants wrote: »

I've given blood before and plan to do so again this week, but my missus can't. Her veins are just too small or something. Anytime she tries, they never get more than a third of a pint and she ends up black and blue.

Same here, the last time I went they pretty much told me I was no good. They can get the full pint out, but it takes ages, and my veins are really small, and it hurts a lot. I'm willing to put up with the pain, but the nurses won't have it. That, and they always think I'm too thin. (have always been around 8 1/4 - 8.5 stone, and they weighed me to confirm, but they still aren't keen on me)
Maybe my A neg blood is not so sought after so they can afford to let me go...
My husband is the opposite. He has great veins. O positive. Blood flows out of him in no time, so fast, that it seems his body can't adjust, and he passes out! So after the second time, they told him, there was not point in it for him.
I never felt faint, as the blood took so long to come out, I'd be watching other donors come and go beside me!

Tasden · 19-01-2014 10:38PM

ENMcD wrote: »

anemia, terrified of needles (pass out every time taking bloods) and tiny veins resulting in being black and blue!

Hadn't fainted in years during a blood test, previously had difficulty every time they tried to draw blood cause my veins are tiny and I'd end up fainting after being stabbed multiple times but the last few tests I'd had done were quick and hassle free, so told myself after my next sti test I'd donate, but during that test the woman taking my blood kept commenting on my tiny veins and massaging them and stuff, was fine til I got up then I had to sit down before I fell to the floor! :pac:

ziggy · 19-01-2014 10:41PM

This post has been deleted.

Ilyana 2.0 · 19-01-2014 10:52PM

SurferRosa wrote: »

Same here, the last time I went they pretty much told me I was no good. They can get the full pint out, but it takes ages, and my veins are really small, and it hurts a lot. I'm willing to put up with the pain, but the nurses won't have it. That, and they always think I'm too thin. (have always been around 8 1/4 - 8.5 stone, and they weighed me to confirm, but they still aren't keen on me)
Maybe my A neg blood is not so sought after so they can afford to let me go...
My husband is the opposite. He has great veins. O positive. Blood flows out of him in no time, so fast, that it seems his body can't adjust, and he passes out! So after the second time, they told him, there was not point in it for him.
I never felt faint, as the blood took so long to come out, I'd be watching other donors come and go beside me!

I must be the same as your husband, my donations are super fast but I end up nearly unconscious afterwards. O+ too but they still don't want me

RedFormanFITA · 19-01-2014 11:00PM

Jaundice as a teenager and then went on to develop Type 1 IDDM. Strangely enough, it's not the diabetes that stops me, its the insulin I'm taking.

Why can't *you* donate blood?

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Why can't you donate blood?