Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I have such small veins in my arms, and as they're quite deep, most of the time I've been to donate in the past (used to try 3-4 times a year), they jabbed me in both arms, a few times actually moved the needle around inside my arm, and still hit nothing.
I'm intending to go back again next week, but if they can't get any blood not sure I'll bother any more. The nurse working there said I probably shouldn't bother coming back, but I want to try one last time.

Good on you, mysnakesau, for donating. My grandfather was saved by a blood transfusion during WWII, so I can definently attest that it is a worthwhile cause.

religion is stupid, agree, it holds us back and is the reason for all our problems, the only other reason for our problems is stupid people.

Clearly, religion cannot stand up to such sage wisdom.
 
Last edited:
Like many, I can't donate blood because I've been to England. I'm actually in England at the moment and think it's strange that visiting England precludes you from donating blood. I know it's because of mad cow disease but I'm sure the disease is all but under control here.

Its not if you have been to the UK. It's only if u have lived in the UK between certain years. Mainly in the 80's i think. Seeing as i was born there in the 80's and grew up there who knows what i may be riddled with hahahaha.
 
It's nothing to do with religion - it's that people who have had male to male sex (also tattoos, piercings, ever visited or been a prostitute or an IV drug user) or had sex with anyone in these risk categories, have a higher likelihood of having contracted a blood borne disease such as HIV or Hep.

It's not discrimination, it's not unfair, it's not homophobia, it's just statistics/risk management plain and simple. Remember that most of the people receiving a transfusion are sick/immunosupressed and cannot afford to even catch a cold.

Many diseases such as HIV don't show up in a blood screening for up to 3 months, so by asking detailed questions, they hope to remove people who are at risk from the donation pool thus removing the risk taking blood from people who have been exposed to disease but do not yet test positive for it.

CJD (the human version of Mad Cow) is a pretty unknown quantity, there is no way to test for it until brain deterioration has set in. Those who lives in the UK in the late 80s and early 90s are again at higher risk than those who didn't so they have been removed from the donation pool, along with anyone who has been treated with Human Growth Hormone for the same reason.

I don't mind waiting a year after I get a tattoo, that I can't donate if I have a fever or that I was asked very personal questions about whether my South African boyfriend several years ago was black (they were very tactful, the poor woman was so uncomfortable asking!) Australia has the most reliable blood service in the world (mainly because the blood bank doesn't pay for blood donations). I'm happy for there to be really strict limitations on who can donate to keep it that way.
 
It's nothing to do with religion - it's that people who have had male to male sex (also tattoos, piercings, ever visited or been a prostitute or an IV drug user) or had sex with anyone in these risk categories, have a higher likelihood of having contracted a blood borne disease such as HIV or Hep.

It's not discrimination, it's not unfair, it's not homophobia, it's just statistics/risk management plain and simple. Remember that most of the people receiving a transfusion are sick/immunosupressed and cannot afford to even catch a cold.

Many diseases such as HIV don't show up in a blood screening for up to 3 months, so by asking detailed questions, they hope to remove people who are at risk from the donation pool thus removing the risk taking blood from people who have been exposed to disease but do not yet test positive for it.

CJD (the human version of Mad Cow) is a pretty unknown quantity, there is no way to test for it until brain deterioration has set in. Those who lives in the UK in the late 80s and early 90s are again at higher risk than those who didn't so they have been removed from the donation pool, along with anyone who has been treated with Human Growth Hormone for the same reason.

I don't mind waiting a year after I get a tattoo, that I can't donate if I have a fever or that I was asked very personal questions about whether my South African boyfriend several years ago was black (they were very tactful, the poor woman was so uncomfortable asking!) Australia has the most reliable blood service in the world (mainly because the blood bank doesn't pay for blood donations). I'm happy for there to be really strict limitations on who can donate to keep it that way.

You have very accurate information, well done. Unlike someone before commenting on a gay persons chromosomes hahaha. But i reiterate my previous point.......... u can NEVER know that the blood is safe, and not infected or carrying HIV or other diseases. A heterosexual person may have had sex with an infected person, they go and donate blood within the 3 months of exposure, that person is going to pass on the infection to the poor unsuspecting recipient.

You must be happy knowing that it's not the reversal though mate. As in, you HAVE mad cow disease and MIGHT be gay :lol: ;)

Oh Moose, you manage to crack me up EVERY time lol. Will have to come to Nunawadding for a drink sometime lol
 
blood donating gay ?
may be a religious thing a lot of medical practice is run by catholics and there against all types of practice like stem cell research , euthanasia etc,,,,,,,,,,, just a few things i have heard through the grape vine alot of its to do with religion quote me if I'm wrong. nothing against catholics (I'm a catholic) i have nothing against gay people and i think they should have same rights as any other person gay or not. first time i have ever heard of this in regards to blood donating ill ask the pathologist at work tomorrow ,only thing i could think of if its to do with chromosomes not sure.....

??? :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:
 
religion is stupid, agree, it holds us back and is the reason for all our problems, the only other reason for our problems is stupid people.

Without religion our morals and values would be crap though.
Imagine how many people would kill, steal or just be impolite without the fear of god.
 
the questionnaire thingy you have to fill out asks if you have been a same sex relationship before.
so i think lesbians are excluded as well.

I thought they wouldn't be allowed to ask that, the army isn't. tbh it's none of their business.

Also, only 42% of new HIV infections in the US are in homosexual people. So more people getting HIV are heterosexual, so wouldn't it be better risk management to ask if the person has had a heterosexual relationship rather than a same sex one?
 
Last edited:
Yep because apparently "all gay men have HIV."
How pathetic!!
If gay men are practising safe sex then they have just as little chance of catching HIV as male/female couples practising safe sex , right?
Would that men that lesbians can't donate blood either?

I'm going to google this.


well in the late 80's my unlce was a heimopheliac and needed a blood transfusion from a gay donor, he got HIV that way so I can definately understand why gay people are not allowed to donate. However all donated blood should be screened for HIV in my opinion.
 
Blood should be screened regardless of a persons sexual preferences. Banning gay people from donating blood is simply a backward-thinking mentality IMHO. What age are we living in??? The dark ages??
 
well in the late 80's my unlce was a heimopheliac and needed a blood transfusion from a gay donor, he got HIV that way so I can definately understand why gay people are not allowed to donate. However all donated blood should be screened for HIV in my opinion.
How does your uncle know his donor was gay? I thought donors would always remain anonymous, or just a number in the banking system.
 
The gay people not being able to donate is ridiculous. As said above, if I were dying and needed blood I wouldn't give a damn where/who it came from.

Is it required to be 18 in order to donate?
 
Well thats how old in NSW im not sure if its the same all round ;P Next blood bus comes my schools way im heading on over
 
Without religion our morals and values would be crap though.
Imagine how many people would kill, steal or just be impolite without the fear of god.

What a load of rubbish - morality and religion are two totally separate issues. I, along with a significant percentage of Australia's population don't believe in any kind of god, however I have managed to live a moral, fairly law-abiding life. I am a socially responsible, productive member of society with a family and friends who love me.

On the other hand there are plenty of religious people who are hypocrites, liars, terrorists and child molesters who live in opulence while their followers starve and live in abject poverty.

"Behaving well" because you fear going to hell isn't really an indication that you are a moral person. It's like raising a child - you don't teach them to become a good person by making them fear you, instead you provide them with the tools and knowledge to comprehend the consequences of their actions and hope that they will go on to make the correct decisions.

IMO, intelligent secular humanism creates a much more moral, ethical human being than religion does.

To reiterate - ALL blood is screened, but some diseases may not show up when first acquired. The blood bank minimises the risk for this period by utilising a statutory declaration preventing people in high risk categories from donating.

Rainbow serpent, I'm sure if you went to the blood bank for a routine operation and required a blood transfusion and subsequently acquired HIV or Hepatitis because the blood bank did not manage its duty of care by using blood from high risk donors, you and your parents would be furious. It's not about discrimination or homophobia, it's about risk management and health and safety.
 
I thought they wouldn't be allowed to ask that, the army isn't. tbh it's none of their business.

Also, only 42% of new HIV infections in the US are in homosexual people. So more people getting HIV are heterosexual, so wouldn't it be better risk management to ask if the person has had a heterosexual relationship rather than a same sex one?

Sexual activity isn't the only category that is restricted. I would argue that of the 58% of new HIV infections who aren't gay, a vast majority acquired their infection through sharing needles, prostitution, tattoos, piercings, needle-stick injuries, having sex in high HIV countries (eg Sub-Saharan Africa) and receiving blood transfusions. And they are also restricted from giving blood so removing all these risk categories dramatically reduces the risk of using infected blood.

Note that your quoted rate would be very different in Australia as we managed the HIV crisis much better than the US.
 
What a load of rubbish - morality and religion are two totally separate issues. I, along with a significant percentage of Australia's population don't believe in any kind of god, however I have managed to live a moral, fairly law-abiding life. I am a socially responsible, productive member of society with a family and friends who love me.

On the other hand there are plenty of religious people who are hypocrites, liars, terrorists and child molesters who live in opulence while their followers starve and live in abject poverty.

"Behaving well" because you fear going to hell isn't really an indication that you are a moral person. It's like raising a child - you don't teach them to become a good person by making them fear you, instead you provide them with the tools and knowledge to comprehend the consequences of their actions and hope that they will go on to make the correct decisions.

IMO, intelligent secular humanism creates a much more moral, ethical human being than religion does.

To reiterate - ALL blood is screened, but some diseases may not show up when first acquired. The blood bank minimises the risk for this period by utilising a statutory declaration preventing people in high risk categories from donating.

Rainbow serpent, I'm sure if you went to the blood bank for a routine operation and required a blood transfusion and subsequently acquired HIV or Hepatitis because the blood bank did not manage its duty of care by using blood from high risk donors, you and your parents would be furious. It's not about discrimination or homophobia, it's about risk management and health and safety.

You're free to think what you want, I'm in no way religious. But I do believe that religion helps a lot, whether you like it or not, millions more people would die if it weren't for religion. And for you to just shoot down my opinion without even consideration is just plain ignorant.

Plus a lot of people need religion to believe in, suicide rates would skyrocket without it. Religion has helped so many drug addicts and alcoholics, it has stopped murderers from reoffending. It is the groundwork needed for a civilized society.
 
blood donating gay ?
may be a religious thing a lot of medical practice is run by catholics and there against all types of practice like stem cell research , euthanasia etc,,,,,,,,,,, just a few things i have heard through the grape vine alot of its to do with religion quote me if I'm wrong. nothing against catholics (I'm a catholic) i have nothing against gay people and i think they should have same rights as any other person gay or not. first time i have ever heard of this in regards to blood donating ill ask the pathologist at work tomorrow ,only thing i could think of if its to do with chromosomes not sure.....

chromosomes are part of your DNA structure, not blood, so i highly doubt gays wouldnt be able to donate because of their chromosomes.
all i know is that my friend couldnt donate blood once bexause his hameoglobin levels were out of whack, too high or low not exactly sure, point is he couldnt donate.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top