Tainted Blood

I moved into a new neighborhood early this year. Me, my partner and the furry kids thought a bigger house would be good for us and furthermore, the place is nearer to my workplace. So the new neighborhood is filled with young yuppies or family so they do have Joint Management Board to look after the place like cleanliness and safety. I guess you signed up to all of these when you signed the dotted line.

Well one day I received this flyer inviting the residents to join for a blood donation drive to help the National Blood Bank restock their blood supply. Sounds noble indeed. But in order to donate blood you must fulfilled few conditions. First, you have not stayed in Europe and Great Britain in the year 1980 something up to 1990 something (presumably because of the mad cow syndrome). Secondly, you are not tested positive for HIV and Hepatitis. Thirdly, you are not cancer patient, has not undergone chemotherapy for at least one year. There are few more of this pre – qualifying conditions that I can’t remember. But I guess the one that many people do not know of, even in Malaysia, is that if you had sex with men (or a man), protected or unprotected, you are not allowed to donate blood.

I have never donated blood in my life. I did not know of this ban until recently when I was living in UK. But to be fair, I used to be a scrawny kid so my blood was unwanted. The main reason why the blood bank refuse to receive blood from MSM (men who have sex with men) regardless whether they are (were?) gay or bisexual is that there is an increased risk of HIV infection.

I guess that is valid reason but I do wonder in the case of Malaysia, if you are not honest with your sexuality, would you accept the fact that your blood is ‘tainted’?  

I don’t think I ever discussed this issue with my friends so I am not very sure of their level of awareness. There was an instant in the past which I barely can recall there might be one or two of my friends did donate some blood light years before. I can’t be very sure. Gay lobbyists everywhere (not Malaysia, as far as I know of) have pushed for this embargo to be lifted. They did succeed of doing that in the UK but with limited success. Homosexual men can only donate blood if they have not have sex with other men for at least 10 years.

Yes, I do repeat, 10 fucking years!

Excuse me, 10 NO fucking years!

I found that hilarious. I have not yet met these people alive or even dead. There are few of my friends that might be reaching that time target (hahaha!). Really the only gay people that do not have sex or fellatio or some form of sexual excitement are geriatrics. For god sakes, 67 – year old Calvin Klein is still snogging (hot) Nick Gruber in the living daylight. Not to mentioned the elderly gentleman Mr. Armani himself was recently seen with seriously strapping man at undisclosed location.

I seriously think that the health authorities need to be serious about lifting this ban. The decision point should be a yes or no, not in between. Putting caveat or condition upon a condition is plain insulting. I read (or watch?) some stories somewhere about painting a scenario whereby a boyfriend might need to get immediate blood transfusion and it happens that he is of special blood type and it is also the happens that the partner or friend of the boyfriend have the same blood type but he cannot donate because he fucks men. Sad.

So the message is be aware of the things you want to do especially donating bodily fluids to charity (and I do not mean ‘donating’ ‘bodily fluid’ to a ‘charity’). Get educated about the subject matter and do whatever you preach.