08.15.2022. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. There probably could be an even better policy but if were talking about [being] realistic and making progressions that would be a big step compared to the one thats in place right now and I think its a lot more realistic for more individuals if they think that donating blood is a high priority for them. Despite differences in awareness of the history of MSM blood donation policy, all of the participants knew of the 12-month deferral policy, which was in place at the time of the interviews. 2006;3(2):77101. A person who weighs 155 pounds has about 10 pints. Not only to recipient, but the donors also get many benefits. One man argued that this policy shift would probably increase the blood donor pool with a fairly good-sized group, but he ultimately argued that such a policy in all actuality does not affect whether or not Im eligible or not eligible if Im meeting all the criteria thats set. Your body will adjust to the reduction in red blood cells when you perform a blood donor. 7 Health Benefits of Donating Blood you May Not Have Realized You may be less likely to have a heart attack. Therefore, many people who are always do donating blood regularly for the sake of helping people, also getting benefits. These practices are consistent with recent policies that have been introduced in some countries, including Italy [28]. Titmuss R. The gift relationship: from human blood to social policy. Many participants believed that blood donation policy should be based on more up-to-date scientific evidence concerning risk factor assessment and HIV testing. Participants expressed three general viewpoints about a 3-month deferral policy: Step in the Right Direction, Ambivalent or Uncertain about Implications, and 3-Month Deferral not an Improvement. But us, because its ok with the straights, youre homosexual, you wait 3 months. These debates over the practicality of gender-blind screening raise critical questions of who is prioritized in policy decision-making. Blood, especially red blood cells are the cells that contain hemoglobin which is formed of iron, which serves to bind oxygen. They were, in general, quite eager to express their views on whether they considered this policy equitable and what policy alternatives they thought to be improvements to the current practice of deferment. Step one involved becoming acquainted with the interviews. While these participants thought that everyone should be screened based on the same set of risk factors, they were generally vague or uncertain on what exactly these risk factors should be. By selecting "Submit," I authorize Rasmussen University to contact me by email, phone or text message at the number provided. Collecting the best available epidemiological and biomedical evidence to ensure a safe blood supply is a clearly stated priority of CBS and Hma-Qubec. Article BMJ. For example, one man stated: I think strong intake and then blood testing that has absolutely no distinguishing between gay men, men who have sex with men and heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual people because its based on historical fallacies. So we can use that blood., The New York Blood Center Hereditary Hemochromatosis Program allows people with hemochromatosis to donate blood rather than have it removed and thrown away. Qualitative research practice. Blood safety. This ensures the safety of the cord blood for . PubMed Donating blood with Canadian Blood Services Aside from being a concern for fellow human beings, blood donor also can give more benefits which is very surprising. Another man declared that If there is a period of exclusion for a gay man, there must be the same thing for other categories of people. To overcome this problem, one of the solutions we suggest is innovating new health benefits of blood donation. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2018. Soc Stud Sci. However, some men saw value in a 3-month deferral as an incremental step toward progress while others were critical but less resistant to the idea of a 3-month deferral. While it isnt the same thing as a trip to the doctor, donating blood can be another way to keep an eye on your cardiovascular health. Several participants vocalized that they considered a 3-month deferral to be a positive (albeit imperfect) policy change. Some interviewees were critical of the 3-month policy because they did not see it changing anything since they were not going to go 3months without any sexual activity. Seeing Red: HIV/AIDS and Public Policy. But yeah, I think three months is more likely to be successful but still it is again a long time and its a lot to expect of people in terms of to dictate that people would want to [donate]. Public Health Rep. 2019;134(1):3646. This research received funding support from the Canadian Blood Services MSM Research Grant Program, funded by the federal government (Health Canada) and the provincial and territorial ministries of health. PubMedGoogle Scholar. While another declared that I think they [sexually active persons] should both donate blood and it should just be tested (age 26, HIV-negative, Toronto). These wellness checkups have saved the lives of some of those who volunteer to give blood. He described the 3-month policy change in positive terms: So I feel like it definitely would be better if that happened. Participants articulated that MSM blood donor policies were an institutional outcome of homophobia and discrimination and had little to no current scientific rationale that many could understand. Finally, another man questioned whether or not 3-months might be too soon: Its possible that I will not know what happened, given a sexual relation 3 months ago, what are the impacts on my life right now, I do not know. For those who are overweight, it is advisable to undergo blood donor regularly. These preferences for a move away from MSM-specific exclusions aligned with their opinions concerning the possible change to a 3-month MSM deferral, for which participants shared three overarching perspectives: (1) step in the right direction; (2) ambivalence and uncertainty; and (3) not an improvement. One participant added: We should look more at risky sexual behaviour independently of a persons sexual orientation or gender. Titmuss R. The gift of blood. By donating blood regularly, blood regeneration will take place more quickly, the oxidation of cholesterol becomes slower. That will be even more positive (age 67, HIV-negative, Vancouver). 5 Volunteering and giving are often linked to positive health outcomes, including a reduced risk for depression. Donating lowers the viscosity of your blood which reduces the friction on your arteries and blood vessels. Is it just to be on the safe side? Policy Press; 1971, reissue 2018. The gift of death. I feel like that cannot just possibly be it. The Surprising Health Benefits of Donating Blood When asked about screening questions, one man mentioned, I think its irrelevant [to ask screening questions]. Fill out the form to receive information about: There are some errors in the form. His main role is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the blood bank and to make sure patients receive safe and efficacious blood product transfusions. People who do these types of things and engage in their community in this way tend to have better health and longer lives.. 2018. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/summary-estimates-hiv-incidence-prevalence-canadas-progress-90-90-90.html. Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories - Mayo Clinic In this qualitative study, we analyzed the perspectives of a diverse sample of GBM on blood donation policy. However, when he asked if this 3-month deferral would affect all potential donors and was told that it would remain specific to men who have sex with men, he opined: Oh okay. oral sex] three months ago, I still think they should be able to donate (age 27, HIV-negative, Toronto). 1. While this focus was helpful to complete the initial objectives of our study, we do believe that it is important to consider other intersectional grounds of GBM exclusion for donating bloodrecognizing the heterogeneity of this group and that some GBM may continue to find blood donation policies inequitable because they are excluded for other reasons, such as those related to country of birth.Footnote 3 Further analysis is also necessary to robustly account for how sex-based deferral policies may be negatively perceived by trans and non-binary people as well as the multiple reasons why some GBM may continue to find blood donation policies highly problematic in and beyond the GBM-specific deferral. Donating blood is safe as donors are socially distanced and required to wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth, regardless of vaccination status. Our interest in using HIRI scores was to ensure that we were speaking with men with varied sexual behavioural profiles. The program you have selected is not available in your ZIP code. Infection pressure in men who have sex with men and their suitability to donate blood. Third, we recruited several HIV-positive men in each city to capture a comprehensive view of how blood donation policy affects GBM communities, including its connections with HIV stigma. Beyond epidemiological considerations, blood donation policy has sparked debates regarding citizenship and the social significance of donation. But putting a time limit on it versus actual life practices is kind of backwards thinking (age 26, HIV-negative, Toronto). Improves Liver Health. Donating blood can improve your liver's health by reducing the amount of iron in it. The majority of men explained that they knew that there used to be a lifetime ban on blood donation for MSM. I guess comparatively three months is better than a year. One blood donation could help up to three patients. Regular blood donation is linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk for heart attacks. A committed blood donor herself, Patenaude recommends donation as a way to reduce the bodys extra iron stores. The current criteria for blood donation deferral range from being relatively uncontroversial, such as having had a dental cleaning in the last 24hours or having had a tattoo or piercing in the last 3months, to being highly contested, such as deferral practices for men who have sex with men (MSM) [1]. Her research interests include hemovigilance, the processes that keep the blood supply safe, and pediatric transfusion medicine. Google Scholar. "There is no risk to the donor.". "Interestingly, these benefits are more significant in men compared to women. Several participants articulated that a point-of-care HIV test or a mandatory HIV/STI test should be a part of the blood donation process. Second, we recruited a heterogeneous sample of HIV-negative participants in terms of their sexual risk profile, which were determined by using participants responses to the Engage quantitative questionnaire in order to calculate their HIV Incidence Risk Index for Men who have Sex with Men (HIRI) scores. In the blood there is a component called iron. A trained medical provider checks your pulse, blood pressure, temperature and hemoglobin levels before you donate. It is well known that donating blood can save lives, but did you know that donating blood can also benefit the health of men? It is also safe if you have had COVID-19, though you must be symptom-free for two weeks and have not had a positivediagnostic testfor COVID-19 in the past 14 days, DeSimone says. Try to take a rest, avoid heavy works, and consume enough water, at least 2 L per day, and consume nutritious food such as chicken, eggs, meat, green vegetables and fruits to restore your power. 5 Impressive Benefits of Blood Donation | Organic Facts While interviews in Toronto and Vancouver were conducted in English only, interviews in Montreal were conducted in French or English depending on the preference of the participant. Several participants argued that CBS and Hma-Qubec should accept all blood donations and then test the blood prior to using it for transfusions, since relying on peoples answers to screening questions is not adequate. There is a need for critical reflection on how a general epidemiological message about HIV risk among MSMno doubt, an important message necessary to advance research and advocate for services to improve MSM sexual health outcomescan be used to exclude all MSM from civic engagement, and, intentionally or not, moralize and stigmatize gay men, their sexual practices and relationships, and HIV even further. The last viewpoint was that the 3-month deferral policy was not a significant improvement on the current 12-month deferral policy. Improved mental health. Ann Intern Med. An iron overload in the liver can damage it and lead to severe complications. A few interviewees described the 3-month deferral as being okay or a good idea as this period of time would more closely approximate the window period of current HIV testing technologies. We conducted 47 in-depth qualitative interviews [34] with GBM living in Vancouver (n=17), Toronto (n=15), and Montreal (n=15) who were recruited from the Engage study. Correspondence to BMC Public Health Goldman M, Shih A-WY, O'Brien S, Devine D. Donor deferral policies for men who have sex with men: past, present and future. Reveals hidden health problems. The last viewpoint also included the sub-category 3-months not being long enough of a deferral. Whats the connection? There has been a significant debate in Canada and internationally for decades on what blood donation policy should look like [12, 26, 28, 29]. This participant described the policy change as somewhat impractical and not a significant change. Donating blood saves lives, says Robert DeSimone, MD, director of transfusion medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, who is encouraging people to do their part and make an appointment to donate. 2023 Rasmussen College, LLC. A campaign group has said Jeremy Hunt's failure to offer details on compensation left those affected by the contaminated blood scandal "disheartened beyond words". Society. We dont often hear about that side of the arrangement. Would they believe them enough? As reported by the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion every two seconds. 3. Some of them are extremely low risk (age 33, HIV-negative, Vancouver). The first was through universal or gender-blind screening focusing on risk practices for all blood donors regardless of their sexual orientation. Participants were aware of the previous indefinite deferral for men who have sex with men. If youd like to learn more about medical assistants, check out our article, Medical Assisting Skills: What You Need to Be Confident in Your Career.. As one man described, the 3-month deferral would be still problematic because whos going to be celibate for those periods of time? Though they did not consider this to be the ideal policy, they understood this to be an incremental step in the right direction.

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