I keep hearing the SA blood "service" whining about another blood shortage - but at the same time they continue to refuse to accept blood from people who are gay. They won't accept the perfectly good blood that the Pink Community willingly offers - so as far as I'm concerned, they can just whine and whine till they run dry.
They have no reason to not accept our blood.
None.
Only the terminally stupid or ignorant believes that blanket discrimination is the best way to protect people from receiving HIV infected blood. The problem here is their clear refusal to screen for HIV infected blood - but they clearly have no problem with discriminating against people. And surprisingly, they are allowed by SA's government to continue blatantly thumbing their bigoted little noses at the non-discrimination clauses in our Constitution. What gives?
None.
Only the terminally stupid or ignorant believes that blanket discrimination is the best way to protect people from receiving HIV infected blood. The problem here is their clear refusal to screen for HIV infected blood - but they clearly have no problem with discriminating against people. And surprisingly, they are allowed by SA's government to continue blatantly thumbing their bigoted little noses at the non-discrimination clauses in our Constitution. What gives?
Every complaint against their unjustifiable bigotry and prejudices has been met with skepticism, regurgitation of right-wing rhetoric asserting the deluded opinion that HIV is caused and spread exclusively by gay people - and that mainstay of South African culture - apathy.
The SA National Blood "Service" bans all gay people who are not sexually inactive for less than 6 months from donating blood.
They also ban blood from males on the grounds of anal sex - as if straight people and women don't indulge in anal sex. Uhuh. Right. Clearly these people should watch a little of the pornography they take a so-called moral stand against - they would be educated quite quickly into abandoning this little fantasy of theirs - and naturally I am referring to the heterosexual variety.
Then they discriminate against married and faithful same sex couples. How does HIV somehow miraculously develop between two committed and faithful people who are HIV negative?
And the worst, most shocking fact of all is that they make around 2-300 ZAR per pint of blood they SELL to the hospital or medical aid - but won't even spare a mere 12 ZAR to test each donor before the time, or the blood before it goes out to the hospitals. They rely SOLELY on that little form the prospective donors fill out before the time, to supposedly keep the end user safe from infection. As if people never lie - or just don't know their HIV status. And of course there will be a disclaimer in the small-print to protect them from legal action should someone become infected as a result of their negligence.
Despite the facts which show the highest risk group for HIV infection today is not gay men, but black females under 25, it is the Pink Community that gets targeted for their very public prejudice. What more proof do you need that the people behind this charade still believe that HIV/AIDS is a GAY DISEASE?
Dear SANBS - the solution to obtaining safe blood is not by discriminating - but to TEST the donors, AND the blood products before they are used.
It's better for the blood service, it's better for the donors, it's better for the end user - it's better for everyone.
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