Forum » Topic: Blood stocks crisis as transfusion service says “Virgins only”

Forum » Topic: Blood stocks crisis as transfusion service says “Virgins only” http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=44495 The NewsBiscuit Community en-US Thu, 23 May 2013 23:45:09 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/search.php Nails UK on "Blood stocks crisis as transfusion service says “Virgins only”" http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=44495#post-127617 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:39:37 +0000 Nails UK 127617@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ Every time I read the donor health check I feel very sad that other people are leading a far more exciting life than mine - and not just over the sex questions. "Been abroad recently?" (No) "Tattoos?" (No) "Piercings?" (No). Sometimes I want to say yes, just to get a bit of street cred. Mandy Lifeboat on "Blood stocks crisis as transfusion service says “Virgins only”" http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=44495#post-127318 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:09:21 +0000 Mandy Lifeboat 127318@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ Nails - try not to comment on yours too often - but this is good, a little too close to NHSBT policy to be honest Nails UK on "Blood stocks crisis as transfusion service says “Virgins only”" http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=44495#post-127282 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:40:03 +0000 Nails UK 127282@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ Blood stocks in the UK are at an all time low as the blood transfusion service made a controversial decision last week to change the sexual history questions on its donor health check. Previously, donors were asked whether they had had sex with certain groups of high-risk partners (men who had had sex with men, anyone who had injected drugs, anyone who has hepatitis B or C, anyone who has had sex where AIDS is common, etc) and were not allowed to give blood if they answered yes. The sexual history section now consists of one question – “Have you had sex? EVER?” and if the answer is yes, then the donor is turned away. Neville Irons of NHS Blood and Transplant explained. “We take the safety of our blood products very seriously and are always working towards improving donor screening. When the list of exclusions reached four pages of A4, we realised that the health check had to be simplified.” This has however had a detrimental effect on blood stocks. “Unfortunately it now means that our donor panel consists of a couple of old spinsters, half a dozen spotty teenage boys and Anne Widdecombe, so you can’t win them all.”