Gay blood

So. Canadian Blood Services lifted a ban on gay and bisexual men being able to donate blood. According to CBC (click here to open article in new window), the ban has been lifted and, as long as they haven't had sex with another man in at least 5 years, they will be able to give blood.

Really? 5 years? "This is a very significant change for us." they say. Oh, good for you! You found a way to give the illusion that you'll accept their blood. I'm sorry, but if I were in need of blood, I'd rather get it from the man who's been in a monogamous relationship for the last few years than the university student who can't remember the names of all the people she slept with over the last 6 months (I say 'she' because 'he' would be refused anyway).

I know they're trying to make the blood safer and protect us from STIs, including AIDS, and I get that. I appreciate that. I also know that anal sex has a higher chance of spreading STIs, and that's why gay/bisexual guys are singled out.

What I don't know for sure is whether or not they realize that straight people are capable of having anal sex as well... So if they'll take blood from the aforementioned, hypothetical university student, who may have had anal sex with 2 or 3 guys, then why not take from the man who's never cheated on his husband and hasn't touched another man in years? All blood donations should be screened for AIDS. Period.

I think my buddy Corey says it best; "AIDS is really a disease that all blood should be screened for. [There's] literally a chance you were born with it and don't know. If that one disease was universally screened, like it should be, then there would be no reason to screen gay men differently than other people. It's just a way to discriminate against minorities without breaking the law."

Come to think of it, why 5 years? That seems like an awfully long time... And kind of arbitrary, too. AIDS can be detected within 3 weeks to 6 months. Want to be safe; why not say a year? Want to be fair; why not put the same requirements on ALL the forms REGARDLESS of the person's gender or sexuality. It seems that asking everyone if they've had unprotected anal sex in the last year seems not only fairer, but easier, too.

I'm not against them trying to weed out high-risk people, but it's not right that gay men are considered higher risk automatically because they're gay, even if they've had less partners and/or less exposure to potential STIs. I hope they refuse straight girls with multiple unprotected partners, too, otherwise that's just... too wrong for words.