US FDA: Primitive gay donor ban should end

[AbdiJohnson]

http://m.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30591002

I am,

Abdi "Its about bloody time" Johnson

[waraabe251]

USA is such a backward and freedom hating country no different to saudi arabia or north Korea

Europe is best in the Situation

[Sophisticate]

It's funny you posted this article. I read a position paper a couple years ago that aimed to reduce the 5-year ban on blood donations to 12-months in Canada. Do you think Canada is backwards for this AJ, or are they just bogged down by bureaucratic red tape? Let us know.

[waraabe251]

It's funny you posted this article. I read a position paper a couple years ago that aimed to reduce the 5-year ban on blood donations to 12-months in Canada. Do you think Canada is backwards for this AJ, or are they just bogged down by bureaucratic red tape? Let us know.

it just shows you how backward north america is compared to Europe

[AbdiJohnson]

Sophisticate,

Red tape is terrible. There's 5 managers who will proof read and edit internal memos and it will take a full week before it's OK to distribute to the low level bureaucrats.

Canada is a lost cause. I gave up on her. It's run by extremist conservatives due to splitting of votes and will be for the foreseeable future. I am sure their policy is to not change the current policy. The system is broken: how can the most liberal society in the West be ruled by the most Conservative govt ever seen?

I am,

Abdi "Only conservatives are backwards" Johnson

[Sophisticate]

Warabe,
That's not always the case waraabe do not generalize, when it comes to lifting bans, reducing them or placing restrictions/bans on certain chemical(s) it depends on the jurisdiction and the authority they have. I will give you an example I wrote a policy analysis on a ban of the antibacterial agent triclosan from personal care products in Canada. This was nearly 2 years ago and nothing has been done about it. However, this same chemical was banned in Minnesota, the only US state to ban it thus far.

AJ,
You're right it's definitely contingent on the political climate. Conservatives love to slow down the political process or turn a blind and apathetic eye to issues that matter. Although I've noticed they are more inclined to agree to a change if their neighbours to the south are all for it. I say wait and see.

[Tuushi]

I never understood this bans.If the information of being sexually active provided by the said men,how can they tell whether it has been a year or 5? I think i am naive but just confuses me.

[Malachite]

I never understood this bans.If the information of being sexually active provided by the said men,how can they tell whether it has been a year or 5? I think i am naive but just confuses me.

Good question. They ask them? you tick a box on a questionnaire, one of which ( if a man) have you had sex with another man? Has it been a year or 5? If a gay man decides he wants to donate and ticks no no one will be any the wiser. They don't interogate you Perhaps consider penile plethysmograph? for the greater good? Yeah, it's ridiculous

I'm assuming they do this not miss a blood that is possibly infected during the screening, being as screening isn't perfect. It really isn't an indictment of the gays community, but a problem in the medical community. If we can't really screen a deadly disease 100% of the time, then we have deeper problems than making it illegal for a certain group to donate

kinda like the same principal as using racial profiling in law enforcement