Ms Primarolo, the Minister of State for Public Health, said:
“Current policy excludes men who have ever had sex with men, whatever their sexual orientation, from blood donation.
“The United Kingdom adopts a highly precautionary approach to blood safety.
“The guiding principle is that if the best available evidence shows that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a course of action will improve the safety of the blood, this action should be taken.
“The Department is committed to regularly reviewing this evidence, and has asked its expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs to do this in 2009.”
(from: Pink News Last accessed: 12th February 09)
So let’s look at the debate For & Against
For
The National Blood Service (NBS) test the blood for HIV and other infections anyway.
There have been massive HIV education and safe sex initiatives nationally aimed at the gay community generally as well as specific ones aimed at men who have sex with men. (This is easily visable if you walk in to any gay bar – all will have condoms.)
The evidence base that the National Blood Service (NBS) use to justify the ban is out of date. (If you email them – they will send you the related evidence.) In addition to this you can use evidence base to prove almost anything by selecting the evidence that demonstrates what you wish it too.
Recently HIV rates have increased and continue to do so in hetrosexuals (see Hetrosexual HIV Cases Show An Increase). Despite this they have not banned Hetrosexuals. This point justifies my next:
Hetrosexuals can be as sexually risky as men whom have sex with men.
Why a life time ban? What if you are a man that’s had sex with a man but had a HIV (and other STI’s tests) that have all come back negative. These men are still unable to give blood, even though they have been screened as negative (and may not have had sex since).
Equality. The Goods and Services Legislation (2007) state that people should not be excluded from services because of their sexual orintation. The NBS is a service and is excluding men that have sex with men (of which a large proporation identify as gay or bisexual) because of the very fact of their sexual orintation.
The final reason relates to the fact that there is a storage of blood donors and blood. The NBS is excluding a whole community of people when there is a shortage of both donors and blood. This doesn’t make sense to me. I mean they test the blood (and/or it’s components) anyway.
Against
The safety of the blood. Men who have sex with men are at a higher risk of HIV infection.
Men who have sex with men are a minority group. A much smaller community than the mainstream community. Therefore the HIV transmittion is likely to spread through a smaller community quicker as men are more likely to come in to contact with a HIV positive person.
Thinking about it I think the NBS are hiding behind the “safety of the blood” statement. They refuse to recognise that as men who have sex with men are a smaller group and as such their rates of HIV transmittion are always going to be higher than that of a much larger community.
The last link My Telegraph – Mike Rouse, relates to a online petition to the Prime Ministers No. 10 site that I signed (see No. 10 Petitions). A total of 5,234 signatures signed the petition at the time. But I think we didn’t have a massive response as many people in the hetrosexual world are totally unaware of this ban.
This post demonstrates that there aren’t many reasons against why men who have sex with men giving blood, yet there are many reasons for men who have sex with men to give blood.
Quite sometime ago I saw the trailer for Confessions of a Shopaholic (see A chick flick?). They have finally give a realise date: Wednesday 18th February 09. I shall be going to see it as soon as possible. I have read all of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic books that the film is based on and love them.
Here’s a trailer:
What do you think? Will you be seeing it? Post a comment.
David and I went watching Slumdog Millionaire at the weekend. Here is some info about the film:
Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India¹s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show¹s questions.
Each chapter of Jamal¹s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show¹s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?
When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out.
(from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/synopsis, Last accessed: 11th February 09)
And here’s a trailer:
I would highly recommend it. I made scared, cry, laugh, happy, and feel all sorts of other emotions. But most of all it made me contemplate the poverty of the slums.
This year being disorganised I missed Imbolc. I only realised a day before and hence didn’t really get round to doing anything (I know tut, tut).
So in order that I not miss any further of my pagan festivals I decided to add the dates to my diary and post them here. I will give the festival name, date and some information about the festival. Here we go:
Imbolc – 2nd February
Known as the festival of light. It celebrates the end of dark winter and welcomes the sun and the light to the world. Asking the world to wake up out of hibernation.
The goddess is seen as the maiden at this festival. Indeed the festival celebrates her as a maiden. She is still in recovery from child-birth.
The longest day of the year. It is the summer time harvest. I like this blessing:
As the sun spirals its longest dance,
Cleanse us
As nature shows bounty and fertility
Bless us
Let all things live with loving intent
And to fulfil their truest destiny Wiccan blessing for Summer
(from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/summersolstice.shtml, last accessed: 08th February 09)
The god and goddess
reaffirm their relationship and commitment to one another.
Colours: Blue, green, red and yellow.
Themes: Fruitful endeavours, child-like play, affirmations, water & emotions.
Lammas – 1st August
The harvesting of berries and grains take place at around the time of this festival. Days are getting shorter.
The autumn equinox. Light and dark are again in balance, however from this point on we shall have less sun light as it get’s darker. It’s about also giving thanks to the mother goddess for providing enough food (from the harvest) for the winter.
The god prepares for his journey to the underworld. The mother goddess is heavily pregnant but continues to rein and begins to age.
Colours: Brown, violet, indigo, blue & black.
Themes: Land & property, goals, introspection, past life regression, relaxation, letting go.
The first day of winter also known as the winter solstice. Longest night of the year. Evergreens and pine are ideal for your alter along with traditional Yule logs. Wreath’s symbolise the wheel of the year.
The goddess gives birth to the god and then goes in to hibernation being tired from child-birth.
Many pagans believe in a god and a goddess. I differ slightly. I do believe there is a god-like being, but that it is one that is genderless as it is simply energy. Some pagans would disagree with this, although like I said earlier these are my own individual beliefs.
Hope this is as useful to you all, as it will be to me.
In love and light,
Antony
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Monday 9 February 2009
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Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
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