Survey finds 3 in 4 gay and bisexual men would donate blood

[ccharles000]

A survey of gay and bisexual men has found that 77 per cent of respondents would donate blood if they were allowed to.

Currently, men who have ever had sex with another man are barred for life from donating blood due to the risk of HIV. It is estimated that one in 20 gay men in the UK are living with the virus and this figure is thought to be as high as one in eight in Brighton.

Dating website ManCentral.com claimed to have surveyed 3,667 members on the blood ban, with only 23 per cent saying they would not donate blood. Reasons given included a fear of needles and previous blood transfusions.

The website calculated that if 77 per cent of the estimated three million gay and bisexual men in the UK donated blood, this could potentially lead to 2.3 million extra annual donors. Last year, 1.6 million people donated blood up to three times.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/27/survey-finds-3-in-4-gay-and-bisexual-men-would-donate-blood/

[stray cat]

1. Those who travel to countries with contagious diseases like T. cruzi would donate as well

but there is no cure if you get transfused with the parasite along with the blood

[ccharles000]

2. kick