| Silver-Tiger said: Wait, WHAT? There was actually a ban on gay blood?! Unbelievable. And that in such a highly developed country. There are standard tests on blood for HIV and other deseases anyway, why do they make a difference when the blood is from homosexual people? |
It's one category amongst many that can't give blood - anaemics, people who've been ill in a foreign country in the last 6 months, men who've had sex with men, women who've had sex with men who've had sex with men, people who weigh under 8st.
You have to bear in mind that when HIV was BOOMING, along the same time that science was developing and the health service improving, not much was known about it - and it is still an incurable virus. As it was statistically more prevalent amongst homosexuals, it was a precautionary measure - due to "lying times", during which the HIV could not be detected, and general lack of information about it.
It's not that they refused it out of principle or anything. I don't think it makes sense to argue with a decision that was made to protect people.
