It is a well known fact that bans were placed upon gay men or MSM (Men who have sex with men) from giving blood following the HIV/AIDS crises of the 1980s, a disease which became known as "gay cancer" or "the gay disease" due to the high numbers of MSM who contracted it.





However, 30 years later and lifetime bans are still in place in 26 countries including the USA, Canada, France and Ireland. Even Iceland, notoriously liberal and pro-LGBT after electing an openly lesbian president in 2009, has a lifetime ban on "gay blood". You've seen posters like the one pictured on the left before. You may have felt a little left out. Well worry not! If you can't give blood, give your organs!

Yes, that's right. You read it correctly. Being gay can automatically ban you from giving blood for life, but the situation is different for organs. Have you ever wondered if you were able to make an organ donation? Well, the thought crossed my mind after seeing a poster calling on people to do so. These posters are a lot less common than blood donation campaigns, but just as important.







This is where the sheer stupidity becomes clear. Blood donations are completely banned for MSM to prevent any chance of transmission of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is transmitted from the body fluid of an infected individual to another, purely through skin-contact. We can therefore safely say that any human whose body tissue enters in contact with HIV-infected blood will contract the virus. HIV becomes AIDS when the virus starts to attack cells in the body causing a severe loss of cellular immunity that leaves the sufferer susceptible to infection and malignancy. HIV is less severe than AIDS, but it causes it.





However, HIV is not a "gay disease", but something everybody who has sex has to worry about. Straight, bisexual, or indeed gay. Therefore, by upholding a ban on "gay blood", the Health Service is assuming that all gay men have AIDS. This is not the case, and although it is understandable as to why these bans were imposed in the 1980s, it is lunacy in today's society as HIV rates in gay men have reduced considerably. The percentage of HIV-positive gay men in the 1980s was at 50% in San Francisco and New York. In 2008, a CDC study estimated that 19% of MSM were infected with HIV in 21 major US cities. According to research carried out in London in 2007, 10% of gay men in the city were infected.





Click to enlarge So for 26 countries around the world, "gay blood kills" no matter what the circumstances. However, countries such as Italy, Poland and Spain have deferred MSM from their criteria; they now hold an equal view of all applicants and don't even mention the word "gay" when asking questions, because sexual orientation doesn't decide whether you have HIV or not. The irony arises when you look at discrimination when it comes to organ donations – it doesn't exist. Even in countries where blood donations are totally banned, gay men are allowed to donate organs and sperm after going through the same screening process as heterosexuals. When it comes to organs, the link between sexual orientation and HIV goes out the window and the health of the individual is what counts. This is how it should be for blood donations too. If you can't give blood today due to the HIV scare of the 1980s, but you can give organs, how does that make sense? Your organs are human tissue and they spend your whole life in contact with your "gay blood" that 26 countries don't want. But if you're HIV-negative then they don't mind taking your organs. However, So for 26 countries around the world, "gay blood kills" no matter what the circumstances. However, countries such as Italy, Poland and Spain have deferred MSM from their criteria; they now hold an equal view of all applicants and don't even mention the word "gay" when asking questions, because sexual orientation doesn't decide whether you have HIV or not. The irony arises when you look at discrimination when it comes to organ donations – it doesn't exist. Even in countries where blood donations are totally banned, gay men are allowed to donate organs and sperm after going through the same screening process as heterosexuals. When it comes to organs, the link between sexual orientation and HIV goes out the window and the health of the individual is what counts. This is how it should be for blood donations too. If you can't give blood today due to the HIV scare of the 1980s, but you can give organs, how does that make sense? Your organs are human tissue and they spend your whole life in contact with your "gay blood" that 26 countries don't want. But if you're HIV-negative then they don't mind taking your organs. However, Canada placed a ban on gay organ donations back in 2008 which led to quite a bit of noise from gay activists.





So remember, once you have expelled your last breath and the candle of life is slowly dimming, your organs that have spent your entire lifetime swimming in "gay blood" that you weren't allowed to donate (even though you were HIV negative), can give someone life after your death (unless you are HIV positive). It seems complete and utter nonsense that you weren't allowed to be given the opportunity to save more lives by donating your – not "gay blood", but – clean blood.

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