Quote:
Originally posted by BoyOnBoy Wonder
But HIV isn't the only harmful disease that can be transmitted through blood - Hep B and C can be and can be just as dangerous.
All blood is tested and considering there's always a blood shortage, all should be able to donate.
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There's still a window of time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when they can test positive a blood screen. It's shorter than I thought:
typically only about two to four weeks, but it's a window nonetheless, and the window period is even longer for Hep B and C (both of which also disproportionately affect MSM).
I do agree that a shortage is a far more pressing problem than potential disease transmission--especially given that these diseases are treatable over the long term while blood loss is not--and I would argue in favor of reducing the restrictions on donation, but I do think it'd be unwise to get rid of them altogether.
