The World Is Progressing
In January 2020, a group of transgenders in Bengal created history by breaking the National AIDS Control Organisation guidelines that said that people who are donors shouldnât be those who are âat riskâ, which includes transgenders. âThis NACO guideline is very discriminatory in nature. How can all those belonging to the transgender community be clubbed as âat riskâ category, at one go? By donating blood we will make a statement that NACO needs to review its guidelineâ said Ranjita Sinha of the Association of Transgenders in Bengal.
Canada in 2016, added national criteria specific to trans blood donors. This essentially would mean that there would be no uncertainty about the screening process and how it would apply to trans people. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service has said it is working on a long-term IT solution for recording a trans personâs preferred gender.
The battle is a long one, but nations seem to be doing their bit to push for a revolution of sorts, and move past barriers that prevent the trans community from partaking in the noble cause of blood donation.
Why Do Blood Donors Ask For Gender
It is critical that Red Cross staff members provide demographic information, including gender, to donors presenting information. We take this step in order to keep donors safe as well as ensure the accuracy and completeness of their records. If the gender in Red Cross records is incorrect, donors may be asked by staff members to change it at registration.
The Fight For Gender Parity In Blood Donation
Despite the progress made in recent decades, achieving gender parity in blood donation remains an uphill battle. When looking at countries with a high population density, the gap between the number of blood donations made by women and men is even larger. Several factors have been cited to explain why women are less likely to donate blood, including the environment and society. The most significant reason for this is that girls are less likely than boys to be encouraged to give blood by family or friends. It may be difficult for them to donate if they are afraid of needles or feel weak. Despite the significant progress that has been made in recent decades toward achieving gender parity in blood donation, there is still significant work to be done. We all must contribute to ensuring that as many people as possible have access to blood donations, whether we are men or women.
New Rules Are ‘not Perfect’
Canadian Blood Services says that it included various stakeholders, donors and members of the trans community who currently donate blood in crafting the new policy, which was approved by Health Canada in June.
Health Canada told CBC News that “the change in policy will allow some transgender people to donate blood who may have been excluded before.”
But Goldman acknowledges that the new procedure is not perfect.
“I think moving forward we will have to see if there is something we can craft that will meet our regulatory framework, ensures safety for recipients and is more acceptable to members of the trans community. But it is complex and we will have to beg people’s patience,” she said.
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Questions A Person May Need To Answer
Before donating blood, a person will need to complete a Blood Donor History Questionnaire . Typically, the questions in the DHQ will ask a person about their health, recent travel, medications, and potential risk of infections.
The persons answers will identify any potential risk factors and determine whether they are a suitable candidate to donate blood.
The Importance Of Gender In Blood Donation
According to the texts, the significance of a persons gender in blood donation can be inferred. In order for the Red Cross to maintain donor safety and accuracy of its records, all presenting donors are required to verbally confirm demographic information, including gender, with Red Cross staff members. Furthermore, it is reasonable to assume that males donate blood more frequently than females.
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Blood Donation And Covid
Article notesCopyright and License informationDisclaimerCONTRIBUTORS
C. Park, C. Gellman, and M. OBrien are co-first authors. A. Eidelberg, I. Subudhi, and E.F. Gorodetsky are co-second authors. C. Park, B. Asriel, and S. Somani conceptualized the presented idea. C. Park, C. Gellman, M. OBrien, A. Eidelberg, I. Subudhi, E.F. Gorodetsky, and S. Somani performed the literature review and designed the format of the article. C. Park, C. Gellman, M. OBrien, and S. Somani wrote the article in consultation with the other authors. C. Park, C. Gellman, M. OBrien, and S. Somani revised the article with input from the other authors. A. Furlow, M. Mullen, G. Nadkarni, K. Sigel, and D.L. Reich supervised the project.
Activist ‘would Not Bother’ Donating
Susan Gapka, a trans woman and the founding chair of the Trans Lobby Group, says she “would not bother” going through the process of donating blood given the new rules, which she thinks are discriminatory.
“It says that they don’t want my blood. It says that I’m not worthy. It says that I don’t belong, that I am not good enough. It just really builds on that erasure,” Gapka told CBC News.
The policy’s focus on gender confirming surgery is also problematic for Gapka.
“It reduces people to a surgical procedure, which is not accessible to everyone and not everyone wants it. It is really outdated,” she said.
Trans people have limited access to gender confirming surgery in Canada. The Centre Métropolitain de Chirurgie, located in Montreal, is the only clinic in the country that performs the procedure.
The medical coverage for the surgery varies between provinces but there is no coverage provided in P.E.I.
Montreal-based trans activist Sophia Banks expressed her outrage on social media.
BS that I can change my legal gender on my ID as a trans woman but Canada Blood services will only treat post-op trans women as women
& mdash @sophiaphotos
“How does me castrating myself all of a sudden mean my blood is clean and I can’t have HIV? What sense does that make?” she said.
“Everything about this is extremely transphobic.”
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Can Transgender Donate Blood
Can intersex donors donate blood? The FDA has no rule that prevents transgender or intersex individuals from receiving treatment. A donor can choose from among four options for identifying his or her gender. Trans men are still required to wait until they have had sex with another man before they can begin the deferral.
Transfusion Blood Transfusion in Scientific Perspective. Blood donation is heavily influenced by science. To be transgender, applicants must meet a number of criteria. The same debate rages about transgender peoples blood composition. Transsexuals are not permitted to donate blood because they identify with a different gender than the one assigned to them at birth. The FDA also prohibits blood donations from men who have had sex with another man. Companies have reacted negatively to this by prohibiting all trans women, resulting in confusion.
Now that transgender people are becoming blood donors, the issue is becoming more sensitive around the world. Blood donations by transgenders in Bengal in January 2020 are regarded as a watershed moment in the states history. Trans blood donors in Canada are now required to meet national criteria. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is developing a long-term solution for recording a trans persons preferred gender.
Why Does Gender Matter When It Comes To Blood Donation
What is the difference between donating blood and being a mother? The motivation to give blood and the negative effects of giving blood can be determined by gender, according to published research. As a result, women are more likely to have negative reactions than men, as women are more altruistic and men are more individualistic. However, women account for the majority of regular blood donors, so it is critical to spread the message that donating blood is never an impediment to a womans gender. Tattoos or body piercings have traditionally made them less likely to donate blood, but people who have recently had them are also less likely to donate.
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Can You Donate Plasma On Hrt
Yes, you can donate plasma on hrt. There are no specific guidelines prohibiting plasma donation for people on hrt, but you should check with your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you to do so. Plasma donation is a safe and easy way to help others, and it is a great way to help out if you are unable to donate blood.
Testing And Transmission: Current Evidence
The first-generation HIV diagnostic test, which came to market in 1985, had a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 95% to 98%. However, the accompanying serological test had a window period of up to 10 weeks and therefore could not effectively detect a new HIV infection until several months after exposure.1,6,7 At the time, blood transfusions conferred a risk of HIV transmission in 1 of 153123 units.8
Decades of HIV research and technological advancements have since revolutionized HIV testing. At present, there are several HIV screening and diagnostic options available, including a chemiluminescent immunoassay to detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies and a duplex nucleic acid test with confirmatory western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.9 The nucleic acid test, in particular, has a sensitivity and specificity of virtually 100% and boasts a window period of just under 3 days, although more conservative organizations report a window of up to 7 to 10 days.10,11 Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires a 2-pronged approach to testing blood donations for HIV-1 and HIV-2, and every donated unit undergoes both nucleic acid and antibody testing.11 Given these newer testing parameters, recent studies have estimated the risk of HIV transmission through blood products to be 1 in 1.5 million.12 For perspective, the risk of other transfusion-related complications, such as transfusion-related acute lung injury, is far greater.5,13
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Ethical And Logical Perspectives
We must also consider the social implications of an MSM deferral policy. The desire to donate blood alone should not outweigh the recipients right to receive safe blood. However, consideration of the evidence outlined here indicates that including greater numbers of MSM in the donor pool would not threaten blood safety. Instead, turning away MSM donors during times of great need and public solidarity, such as after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting or during the COVID-19 crisis, stigmatizes these individuals by deeming them unworthy and dangerously perpetuates the myth of HIV as a purely gay disease.25,26 Furthermore, given that MSM are estimated to compose 2% of the overall United States population27 and that approximately 10% of eligible donors donate blood on an annual basis,28 revising eligibility guidelines to include more MSM could add up to 600000 annual donors to the blood supply.
Why Are Blood Banks Rejecting Transgender Women
Jasmine Kaiser and Lisa Scott are suing one of the worlds largest blood companies for turning them away for being transgender. The company insists all trans women are banned from donating under federal guidelines. Do federal officials agree? They wont say.
Last summer, Jasmine Kaiser tried to donate blood. Her intake started routinely she underwent a screening, watched an informational video, and was on track to give a pint of plasma in exchange for about $30. But when she completed the orientation, the staff at CSL Plasma did not grab a tourniquet or needle.
Instead, an employee said she would not be permitted to donate plasma because she is a transgender person, according to a lawsuit Kaiser filed in April accusing the company of discrimination.
The Florida-based CSL Plasma bills itself as one of the largest collectors of blood products in world, operating more than 85 donation centers in the United States including the one Kaiser visited in Kent, Washington. Along with Kaisers legal action, it faces another similar discrimination lawsuit in federal court in Minnesota.
Transgender women said this amounts to discrimination at blood banks, while the centers insist their hands are tied by government guidelines. By avoiding the issue, critics argue, federal officials are helping sustain a legacy of brutal, embarrassing, and unequal medical mistreatment for transgender people.
It is pure discrimination.
Our policy is to designate by sex at birth. FDA
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The Fda Still Requires Non
While binary transmen and transwomen are encouraged to self-identify on forms, the FDA does not allow non-binary and gender non-conforming people to do the same.
The FDA’s revised guidelines state non-binary people must pick between “male” and “female” on blood donor questionnaires, which the American Red Cross also requires.
In 2019, a non-binary person in San Diego was denied from donating blood because their California state ID marker read X, a non-binary gender marker option available in a growing number of states.
While LGBTQ advocates are pushing back against the policy, problems with the FDA and queer donors are nothing new.
Can Transgenders Donate Blood
Yes, you heard that right. Why would anyone have an issue with it? If that’s what youâre wondering right now, it isnât just because of the social stigma surrounding the trans community, but also cause science plays a big role in blood donation. The pandemic has revealed the scope of plasma therapy and its role as a potential cure, and the need for blood donors is on the rise. So can transgenders join the bandwagon? The answer isn’t so simple.
Blood donation requires the donor to satisfy a number of different criteria. Fulfilling these criteria become even more complicated when transgenders are involved since more factors come into play such as the individualâs sexual activity and gender identity. To get into the specifics of why the transgender community can or cannot donate blood, it would only be fit to understand how the process works.
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Nbc Outms Mr Or Mx Nonbinary Teachers Embrace Gender
Megan McSeveney, a spokesperson for the FDA, said the agency requires certain data for the safety of the donor and recipient, but said that a blood banks physician can decide on non-binary donor eligibility.
Since the health criteria differ depending on gender, a blood establishment may choose to base eligibility on the more restrictive criteria for both male and female donors, McSeveney said in an email. However, that particular scenario would have to be specifically outlined the blood establishments in order for the donor to be determined eligible to donate.
LGBTQ advocates have long battled the FDAs gender screening for blood donations, particularly when it comes to turning away men who have sex with men . Currently, men who have had sex with men 12 months before giving blood are ineligible. This policy is in place due to MSM’s increased risk for HIV infection. Activists, however, claim that practice unnecessarily stigmatizes gay men, since all blood is screened for HIV and other blood-borne pathogens.
Cecilia Chung, co-director of policy and strategic projects at the Transgender Law Center, argues that blood plasma doesnt have a gender.
These cases just show the discriminatory nature of asking people for their gender in the context of donating blood, said Chung. In turning people away, we are risking creating harm. If they have a rare blood type or if there is a shortage, that would be part of the unintended harm.
Can Transgender People Donate Bone Marrow
LGBTQIA+ members of the community are welcome to join the registry and contribute. It is well-known that gay men and members of the LGBTQIA+ community are not permitted to participate in the blood donor registry or donate blood stem cells, but this is not the case. Members of Be The Match are not required to disclose their sexual orientation.
Some types of blood cancer are treated with stem cell or bone marrow transplants. If you want to be a donor, you must have stem cells that are identical to the ones you intend to donate to. If there is a sibling or sister who can be considered a match, there is a good chance that they will be compatible. Everyone in the family is likely to be unable to match. In the United Kingdom, there are various donor registers. They match people who require stem cells with donors, and they work together and on international registers to do so. Each registry includes a list of medical conditions as well as a list of health criteria. If you are a match for someone who requires stem cells or bone marrow, you will be contacted by the organization once you have registered.
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Previous Changes To Blood Donation Rules
The emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s and the recognition that it could transmit via blood changed the U.S. blood system.
Due to a lack of effective screening methods, a poor understanding of potential risk factors, and heterosexist perceptions, the U.S. implemented a lifelong ban on MSM, preventing them from donating blood between 2015 , the FDA changed the indefinite deferral to a 12-month deferral from the most recent sexual contact with another male. The organization selected this time window to allow adequate time to detect potential infections present in the blood. Research notes that this change did not result in an increase in HIV incidence among first-time donors.
In April 2020, in light of COVID-19-related blood shortages, the FDA further reduced the deferral to 3 months to respond to the urgent need for safe blood products.
Researchers have suggested that the current criteria rely on old biases and that scientists should advocate for policies rooted in science and against ones that unnecessarily marginalize groups of people.
Groups such as the Human Rights Campaign advocate for the FDA to revise donation eligibility to evaluate the risk of sexual behaviors equally, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.
The FAIR steering group in the United Kingdom suggests the following changes to ensure a fair and safe screening system for everyone:
- allowing those who have only had oral sex to donate
- asking all donors about their sexual history