THOUGHT I'D SHARE THIS WITH Y'ALL....

[alandhopewell]

     I stopped off at t he Bloodmobile today; I was going to donate for the first time. Part of it is filling out a questionaire, which I did. One of the questions disqualified me from donating; I'll not say which one, although it should be easy to figure out.

     Over the years, I've been tested for HIV / AIDS three times, and have come up negative each time. However, I was told that according to the FDA, that doesn't matter-the fact that I engaged in such behavior does. Also, those who have visited certain countries, or served in the armed forces in certain locales, are also barred from donating, even though they have been shown to be disease-free.

     The worker told me that there is a simple test, used in other countries, that would be perfect for use in Bloodmobiles; however, the test is awaiting-you guessed it- FDA approval!

     If this sounds as silly to you as it does to me, please e-mail the Ombudsman  for the FDA at this address....

ombuds@oc.fda.gov



We were just hit with more tornadoes the other day, and they need all the blood they can get....they always do.

If there's no good reason to stop potential donors, then why do so?

[ER]

I used to donate regularly in college and got to know some of the workers, who really hated the rules that bound them. I was told they were instructed to "quietly" dispose of blood donated by people from the Caribbean, from Africa, and from anyone who "just gave them a vibe." There is or was also a box to check that said something like, "If you're being pressured to donate during a workplace or social organization drive and would like us to discard your blood or plasma, please check here." Really with the guidelines in place I am surprised anyone is left who qualifies to donate.

BTW, good for you for wanting to give blood and help others in need!