I'm bummed. I'm forever banned from giving blood.

[Bertha Venation]

I just came back from the blood donor bus.

I had Hepatitis C at this time last year, and was taking the treatment, which consisted of three drugs, one of which was interferon. As the phlebotomist questioned me, we got to my Hep C and I told him I was cured, but I knew he might have to reject me for it anyway.

He did some research, and as it turns out, I wasn't rejected because of the virus. I was rejected due to the use of interferon. According to the book the phlebotomist consulted, having used interferon is a reason for "permanent deferral" (oxymoron).

I still wonder whether having had HCV would preclude me from donating, but because of the interferon, we never got that far.

I am bummed. I'm AB-, one of the rarest types. I could do some good.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm so sorry, my dear Bertha...

That is a shame.

The rules are very strict, I'm afraid.

[Bertha Venation]

3. Strict is an understatement --

Did you know that gay men can't give blood?!

[hollysmom]

5. yes I did

It is a left over from the hey day of Aids linked only to gay men and Haittians. So neither can Haitians.

I couldn't give blood when I was younger because of low blood pressure, couldn't give it now because of the medication I am on. Did give for a little while in my 30's between conditions.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I know.....I used to work for the Red Cross...

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I'm so sorry. :^(

[LynneSin]

4. I got banned for a year and well I feel bad - never went back

my reason was visiting a part of Mexico that was having some sort of disease issue. Mind you I was in the resort area of Acapulco the entire time but for some reason there was an outbreak of something somewhere on the other side of the Mexican State. Was kinda like banning me for visiting Austin TX because of an outbreak in El Paso TX.

My question is this - are you allowed to donate for yourself? I know it is recommended before surgury to donate blood so you have some of yours available if needed.

Maybe since you're banned I'll make up for it and start going again myself. Although Delaware has a weird blood donation system. They call you when they need your type, something really bizarro.

[geardaddy]

7. I've been banned too.

I had a kidney transplant in 1993 and can't donate to anyone but myself. I did donate when I was in high school though.

[TrogL]

8. They don't want mine

I'm bisexual.

[KamaAina]

11. Even in Canada?

I thought yours was a civilised country in such matters.

[TrogL]

12. Nope

http://www.blood.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/Indefinite%20Deferral?OpenDocument

All men who have had sex with another man, even once, since 1977 are indefinitely deferred. This is based on current scientific knowledge and statistical information that shows that men who have had sex with other men are at greater risk for HIV/AIDS infection than other people.

[TorchTheWitch]

9. I've never been able to give blood because I don't weigh enough

Even if it wasn't for that I still couldn't do it since my blood pressure is so low that if they take even a teeny tube of blood out of me I pass right out.

Now that you can't give blood anymore maybe there's something else you could do instead? Volunteer a little time at the blood bank or at your local hospital or something?

I try really hard to think that whenever a door closes to me somewhere a window opens. Admittedly, it's not easy for me to think so positively particularly in really crappy circumstances, but I do try.


On Edit: poopy spelling

[TZ]

10. Same here.

Of course the blood disorder is part obviously. Interferon can play heck with your other blood cells and if donated to someone else could indeed do damage to their blood as well. I believe thats the reason.

[hedgehog]

13. I used to donate all the time, then ended up on a cocktail of drugs due

to an autoimmune illness. I think technically I still could donate, i just don't think it's a good idea.

[marzipanni]

14. I used to give blood, too, until the mid-eighties

There wasn't a blood test for AIDS so they categorically refused blood from people who had the hepatitis antibody, because hepatitis was so frequently diagnosed when AIDS symptoms were present. I was never aware that I had had hepatitis, but one of my brothers was in the Peace Corps in India, and contracted hepatitis A, so family members had gamma globulin shots when he came home.

I just read that gamma globulin, being a derivative of blood, can carry Hepatitis C, which has been around since at least the 1940s, but wasn't identified until 1989.

I'm not sure why I have hepatitis antibody.

[rppper]

15. I spent time in the UK during the late....

80s early 90s....due to the mad cow disease outbreak there I'm banned for life as well.....yes, seriously....I never ate any local meat except fish and haggis...once!...all the steak/beef I ate was on the submarine I was attached to...

[Major Nikon]

16. Another Abby negative here