AIDS and Blood Donation

[Littlejohn Tim]

cliff at watson.ibm.com (cliff) writes:

>I'd like to follow up on my previous questions.  So far the responses I got
>are 50-50.  50% of the responses say that when you donate blood you will
>absolutely be notified if you are HIV positive.  The other 50% says that
>you will absolutely not be notified.  It's an interesting question to 
>resolve, because many people believe that if they donate blood and
>are not contacted, they are HIV negative.  Think of all the lives which
>could be lost if 50% of the US is under this impression and it is false. 

Good point.  In Australia, we are notified of anything bodgy in the
blood (syphilis, AIDS, hepatitis, etc).  But Australia has ONE blood
bank system, run by the Red Cross, not many (some private?) as in
the US.  This is probably the source of the communication problem.

Tim


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E-mail:     little at ere.umontreal.ca         Tim Littlejohn 
                                               
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