OT- Blood Donors

mudcow007

Just signed my self up to be a blood donor an if that goes ok i will sign up for a bone marrow donation too

my Mrs sent me a link to a young girl with cancer who is urging people to sign up to the blood and marrow register.

Alice Pyne

i don't particular like needles or anything but i think its something that everyone should do (if they can)

if you had an accident, you would expect to be topped up with blood...it has to come from somewhere

asprilla

I generally travel to a malarial region every six months, which rules me out unfortunately.

Allez Mark

Im on the Anthony Nolan register for Bone Marrow. I've never given blood, don't know why. Maybe I should look in to it.

gbsahne001

been donating for 25 years now; overseas travel has meant that my donations have not always been that regular, even so I'm coming up to donation 32 in the UK + 1 donation to my Father in Law in Turkey.

Headhuunter

mudcow007 wrote:

Just signed my self up to be a blood donor an if that goes ok i will sign up for a bone marrow donation too

my Mrs sent me a link to a young girl with cancer who is urging people to sign up to the blood and marrow register.

Alice Pyne

i don't particular like needles or anything but i think its something that everyone should do (if they can)

if you had an accident, you would expect to be topped up with blood...it has to come from somewhere

Isn't bone marrow donation really painful? Don't they actually have to get inside the bone somehow (drill or something?)

t4tomo

This was in the Metro the other day, which has prompted me to dig out my old blood doning card and squeeze out a pint or two.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13721023

they particularly need B+ for this girl, but its a good thing to give blood in general.

rick_chasey

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

mudcow007

Headhuunter wrote:

mudcow007 wrote:

Just signed my self up to be a blood donor an if that goes ok i will sign up for a bone marrow donation too

my Mrs sent me a link to a young girl with cancer who is urging people to sign up to the blood and marrow register.

Alice Pyne

i don't particular like needles or anything but i think its something that everyone should do (if they can)

if you had an accident, you would expect to be topped up with blood...it has to come from somewhere

Isn't bone marrow donation really painful? Don't they actually have to get inside the bone somehow (drill or something?)

supposedly there are two ways are "harvesting it" one is through a blood donation (painless) the other is through the hip bone, which is up to 5 days in hospital. but they do pay compensation etc

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

Yeah, gay people are still banned from giving blood... Or should I say "men who have sex with men", so that includes bisexuals and any "straight" guys who fancied giving it a shot one drunken night....

t4tomo

Rick Chasey wrote:

I barely weigh enough to donate.

You only need to be 7st 12lb or something similar, surely you weigh more than that?

davis

I'd give it way more often than I do (probably up to 10 donations so far) if they actually needed it... http://www.blood.co.uk/StockGraph/stocklevelstandard.aspx suggests that they really don't need any more A+.

Yeah, I know this sort of thinking doesn't actually help, but they've got around 7x as much of A+ and O+ as anything else, and after speaking to someone in NHSBT they weren't exactly desperate for more.

rick_chasey

t4tomo wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I barely weigh enough to donate.

You only need to be 7st 12lb or something similar, surely you weigh more than that?

I weigh 55odd kg and I think the limit is 50?

So yeah, no breakfast and a big sh!t and i'm close to the limit.

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

Yeah, gay people are still banned from giving blood... Or should I say "men who have sex with men", so that includes bisexuals and any "straight" guys who fancied giving it a shot one drunken night....

Indeed, any male who's had straight anal sex still can donate if I remember correctly.

I believe if you're a male homosexual who is a virgin you are also refused.

secretsam

Do it when I can, sometimes hard to get a slot in the local sessions

drays

davis wrote:

I'd give it way more often than I do (probably up to 10 donations so far) if they actually needed it... http://www.blood.co.uk/StockGraph/stocklevelstandard.aspx suggests that they really don't need any more A+.

Yeah, I know this sort of thinking doesn't actually help, but they've got around 7x as much of A+ and O+ as anything else, and after speaking to someone in NHSBT they weren't exactly desperate for more.

erm, they've only got 7 days stock of a+

It would seem they need that the most as a+ and o+ are the most common.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

Yeah, gay people are still banned from giving blood... Or should I say "men who have sex with men", so that includes bisexuals and any "straight" guys who fancied giving it a shot one drunken night....

Indeed, any male who's had straight anal sex still can donate if I remember correctly.

I believe if you're a male homosexual who is a virgin you are also refused.

No, apparently not. It's only if you've had same sex sex (oral, anal whichever way you like it!)... You can be gay and a virgin (perhaps a gay Cathiolic monk or something) and still give blood by the sounds of it...
http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/exclusion/

Headhuunter

My cousin is B rhesus negative or something which is very, very rare, they've barely got any rhesus negative blood in stock at all apparently....

hells

Im an organ donor (everything) but have never donated blood, I hate hate hate needles and I know thats a pathetic reason. Im AB- which is the rarest blood group but if it's true that that 50kg is the minimum weight then I cant donate anyway being 48kg.

Headhuunter

hells wrote:

Im an organ donor (everything) but have never donated blood, I hate hate hate needles and I know thats a pathetic reason. Im AB- which is the rarest blood group but if it's true that that 50kg is the minimum weight then I cant donate anyway being 48kg.

48kg?!? How tall are you? In Japan, people are of course smaller and generally weigh less than in Europe and they only give approx half a pint of blood as standard rather than the pint we give here... Perhaps you could specifify a half measure? if you're a rare group it makes a lot of sense to give blood - it may save your own life one day!

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

No, apparently not. It's only if you've had same sex sex (oral, anal whichever way you like it!)... You can be gay and a virgin (perhaps a gay Cathiolic monk or something) and still give blood by the sounds of it...
http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/exclusion/

Fair enough.

Either way, it doesn't make sense and it's not fair.

davis

drays wrote:

erm, they've only got 7 days stock of a+

It would seem they need that the most as a+ and o+ are the most common.

Yep, I know, and I know 7 days doesn't sound like a lot but I've become a lot more cynical about how desperate they are for A+ blood. They're actually desperate for O- as it can go in anyone, so it's the default blood for sticking in any trauma patient.

Don't misunderstand me: blood donation is a brilliant thing, and I still do it (well, I would but I can't right now), I'm just saying that the organization is keener on getting blood types other than mine, O-, and I think U- the last I heard. Therefore I'm no longer as enthusiastic about getting down there every single session.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

No, apparently not. It's only if you've had same sex sex (oral, anal whichever way you like it!)... You can be gay and a virgin (perhaps a gay Cathiolic monk or something) and still give blood by the sounds of it...
http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/exclusion/

Fair enough.

Either way, it doesn't make sense and it's not fair.

However the Terence Higgins people are behind it. To be honest though, giving blood takes time and effort (and involves needles!) from the donor, so if they are rejecting specific people's blood then that's their decision... It's only going to adversely affect gay people if they have a very rare blood group and could've been donating blood for years which could've helped them if they needed it....

EKE_38BPM

I used to give blood, but haven't for a few years after I fainted many hours later. I know I should do it again though.

On the homosexual virgin thing, I once asked on Facebook if a practicing lesbian who had never slept with a man would legally be classed as a virgin. It was just a question about the legal status, but boy, did I get grief from my ex-gf's tree hugger mates.
Never got an answer either, just lots of abuse!

Headhuunter

EKE_38BPM wrote:

I used to give blood, but haven't for a few years after I fainted many hours later. I know I should do it again though.

On the homosexual virgin thing, I once asked on Facebook if a practicing lesbian who had never slept with a man would legally be classed as a virgin. It was just a question about the legal status, but boy, did I get grief from my ex-gf's tree hugger mates.
Never got an answer either, just lots of abuse!

Interesting... Are lesbians in fact virgins...

veronese68

I can't give blood any more as I had a form of lymphoma a while back. I rang them after 5 years and was told I could never give blood again. I'd love to as I believe some of the medication I was given was made from blood products. So thank you to everyone that does, however irregular.

t4tomo

Rick Chasey wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I barely weigh enough to donate.

You only need to be 7st 12lb or something similar, surely you weigh more than that?

I weigh 55odd kg and I think the limit is 50?

So yeah, no breakfast and a big sh!t and i'm close to the limit.

You're in the wrong saddle, you should be a jockey.

rick_chasey

t4tomo wrote:

You're in the wrong saddle, you should be a jockey.

You say that. I'm scared of horses.



For what it's worth: Leonardo Piepolli - height: 169, weight, 54kg. (when racing)

EKE_38BPM

Someone, give that man a pie.

dhope

mudcow007 wrote:

Alice Pyne

A lovely young lady. I've volunteered a number of times at Over the Wall where Alice Pyne has been a camper and everyone I know that's met her has only great things to say. Would wholly recommend the camp for anyone considering giving up a bit of their time.

dhope

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

Yeah, gay people are still banned from giving blood... Or should I say "men who have sex with men", so that includes bisexuals and any "straight" guys who fancied giving it a shot one drunken night....

Indeed, any male who's had straight anal sex still can donate if I remember correctly.

I believe if you're a male homosexual who is a virgin you are also refused.

No, apparently not. It's only if you've had same sex sex (oral, anal whichever way you like it!)... You can be gay and a virgin (perhaps a gay Cathiolic monk or something) and still give blood by the sounds of it...
http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/exclusion/

They don't actually ask if you're gay as that's a matter of opinion. They ask if you've had sex with another male.

Headhuunter

dhope wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I remember the student union I was at a couple years ago refusing to let them take blood in the SU building because of what they felt was 'unnecessary' discrimination with regard to letting homosexuals donate blood.

I barely weigh enough to donate.

Yeah, gay people are still banned from giving blood... Or should I say "men who have sex with men", so that includes bisexuals and any "straight" guys who fancied giving it a shot one drunken night....

Indeed, any male who's had straight anal sex still can donate if I remember correctly.

I believe if you're a male homosexual who is a virgin you are also refused.

No, apparently not. It's only if you've had same sex sex (oral, anal whichever way you like it!)... You can be gay and a virgin (perhaps a gay Cathiolic monk or something) and still give blood by the sounds of it...
http://www.blood.co.uk/can-i-give-blood/exclusion/

They don't actually ask if you're gay as that's a matter of opinion. They ask if you've had sex with another male.

Yup, that's the crux of it....