Science&Health: Restrictions based on sexual history anger some
By Shauntel Lowe
Oct. 24, 2006 9:00 p.m.
Federal restrictions which prevent males who have had sex with
other males from donating blood has elicited claims of
discrimination from members of the gay community during
this key period of on-campus blood drives.
The first few weeks of each quarter are prime blood drive times
because most students are not busy with midterms or finals, said
Kevin Clark, an administrative analyst for the UCLA Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine ““ Blood and Platelet Center.
But busy or not, some students are not able to donate blood
because of their sexual histories.
Blood donation agencies such as the American Red Cross and UCLA
Blood and Platelet Center are subject to the regulations set forth
by the Food and Drug Administration.
An information sheet for potential donors from the UCLA Blood
and Platelet Center states that, “If you have given money or
drugs for sex since 1977, or if you are a man who has
had sex with a man since 1977, you cannot donate blood.”
Women who have had sex with men who have had sex with other men
since 1977 also cannot donate blood.
Teresa Solorio, public affairs manager for the Southern
California Blood Region of the American Red Cross, said the
restriction on males is in place to protect the blood donation
recipients, not as an affront to members of the gay community.
Lesbians are not restricted from donating blood.
“This does go back to the ’70s when (HIV
transmission) seemed to be prevalent in situations where males were
having sex with males,” Solorio said.
Potential donors who indicate on a questionnaire at the donation
site that they have had sex with other males will not be accepted
as blood donors.
Accepted donations undergo a testing process where screeners
look for evidence of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis.
Many gay male students may not know about this restriction and
only discover it at the donation center, which can be a “slap
in the face,” said Ronni Sanlo, director of the UCLA Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center.
“The sad part is many of the young men aren’t aware.
They go with their friends and here’s a young man who is told
he can’t donate blood. He’s got to deal with that issue
right there in the presence
of his friends,” Sanlo said.
Daniel Becker, a second-year musical theater student in the UCLA
School of Theater, Film and Television, said he was surprised to
learn of the restriction when he was donating blood.
He said he understands the precaution, but also said the
post-donation testing of the blood should eliminate the need for
the restriction.
Sanlo said preventing this particular group of males from
donating is “ridiculous.”
“It’s a federal rule. The various administrations we
have had, even the Clinton administration, just simply
haven’t had the courage to say this is an archaic, old,
discriminatory, ridiculous rule.”
Sanlo said she believes advancements in HIV screening tests have
eliminated the need for this restriction.
Thomas Tedesco, a clinical nurse at the UCLA Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine ““ Blood and Platelet Center said the
restriction is outdated, though anal sex can pose a greater risk
for tissue tearing than vaginal sex, and this tearing can lead to
easier transmission of diseases.
Solorio said the American Red Cross has been encouraging the FDA
to reconsider this restriction in light of testing advances.
She said it is important to ensure that the blood is
uncontaminated by HIV, AIDS or a variety of other diseases.
“Some viruses have a window. You may not have known you
were infected,” she said.
“The bottom line is always the safety of the people
receiving the blood.”
