Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!ucla-cs!HAMER@Ruby.VCU.EDU From: HAMER@Ruby.VCU.EDU (ROBERT M. HAMER) Newsgroups: sci.med.aids Subject: Re: Blood Donations Message-ID: <38307@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> Date: 23 Aug 90 14:11:00 GMT Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU Lines: 34 Approved: phil@wubios.wustl.edu Note: Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening. Permission granted for Note: non-commercial reproduction. Archive-number: 2406 "Josh Knight" (or perhaps a moderator; hard to tell) writes: > However, Josh also pointed out that some states may be able to obtain > information on HIV+ antibody status from blood donation tests. In these > states, I would recommend that individuals in high-risk categories simply > avoid donating blood entirely. I would strongly urge that anyone in a high risk category avoid donating blood entirely, not simply because of an interest in avoiding discrimination, but on the chance that the individual's blood has not seroconverted but is in fact infected. > I also urge you to honestly present your status, if you do donate, since the > lives of others depend on the truthfulness of your answers--HIV antibody > tests, for example, are not reliable indicators of whether your blood is > infectious with HIV. -- Dan Greening / dgreen@cs.ucla.edu] Agreed. >One thing that has changed since the last time I gave blood (April 6, 1990) >is that the person that looks for needle tracks on your arms, checks your >hematocrit, temperature and blood pressure now has a script to read about It has been interesting, as I donate blood 4-5 times per year, to watch the evolution of the questions they ask you and the scripts and procedures they follow. Things have changed fairly often over the last 5 years or so, little by little. The questions have gotten more explicit, the wording gets improved. The last time I donated, perhaps a month or so ago, the phlebomist checked my arms for tracks, too. I asked her if she'd ever seen needle tracks, and she said she'd not. I haven't, either, and wonder how effective someone who has never seen tracks would be at recognizing such signs of IV drug use. I also note that she didn't check the many other places I hear that IV drug users also inject, such as behind the knees.(?)