Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb
From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: AIDS: beyond high-risk groups
Message-ID: <480@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 18:51:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: drutx.480
Posted: Fri Sep 13 18:51:08 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 07:22:44 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 51


Ron Rizzo writes:
>[about] a report from the AMA ... which claimed there were 1 1/2 million
>Americans NOT IN ANY HIGH RISK GROUPS ) ... either infected with HTLV-III 
>virus or testing positive on the bloodtest for it.
>
>The report urged those testing positive to have a second bloodtest,
>because of the high number of false positives, and even a third test 
>of another kind...

This brings up some questions which, as a regular blood donor, not in a
high risk group, have occurred to me.  I know that the blood banks are now 
testing donor blood.  I can see the reason for that.  However, the test is 
often wrong.

If my blood tests positive, will they inform me about it?  If so, how?
Who else will be informed?  (An especially interesting question--since
I give through a program at work.) Must I pay for the extra tests to confirm 
or invalidate their positive test?  It seems to me that if their test was 
mistaken, I shouldn't be made to pay. (Beyond being scared shitless, of 
course!  I have visions of thousands of people sueing them for pain and 
suffering.)  Suppose I test false positive--can I be reinstated as a blood 
donor when the incorrectness of their test is confirmed?  I would like to 
give blood if possible--but if they don't want my blood, even for an invalid 
reason, do I have any recourse?  Or, if they act badly, should I even care?

As an aside, it seems to me that there are some issues connected with these
tests on which straights, (or bi's like me) should really be siding with
the gay community--like who gets told about your positive test, and how
society treats you (i.e. keeping you out of school or work).  Obviously,
given the information quoted, this could happen to anyone.  And it is most
likely, with a false positive, to happen to those people who care about
others enough to give blood since they will be tested often.  Given the 
irrational, lynching attitude I've seen, this could really mess up a person's 
life.  And of course, it's even worse with a true positive, because you need 
support even more in that situation.  But I don't see people caring.  I 
wonder how many people will have to be hurt before people do care.  Sigh.

-- 

                                     Sue Brezden
                                     
Real World: Room 1B17                Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb
            AT&T Information Systems
            11900 North Pecos
            Westminster, Co. 80234
            (303)538-3829 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Your god may be dead, but mine aren't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~