By Scott Tibbs, January 28, 2013
There is no legitimate reason to reverse the FDA policy prohibiting blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) and reversing the policy will risk lives for the sake of political correctness. Blood donation policy should be based on sound science and statistical analysis, not on the political agenda of the homosexual-rights movement.
The statistics are striking. According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, male-to-male sexual contact accounted for 23,846 of 41,845 HIV infections in 2009. This is 57% of all infections. That does not include "male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use," which is also significant.
It is important to remember that homosexuals are about 2% of the population. MSM are clearly dramatically more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than the general population, meaning their blood is significantly more risky than blood donations from anyone else.
The 2009 numbers reflect a long trend. The CDC reports that 529,908 of 1,099,161 "cumulative estimated number of AIDS diagnoses" through 2009 were the result of male-to-male sexual contact - or 48.2% of all AIDS diagnoses. Another 77,213 of all AIDS diagnoses (7% of the total) were the result of male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use.
There are plenty of donors available without taking the risk that blood donations from MSM will be tainted. So why are we even having this discussion?
The answer is simple. This is not about helping those who need blood donations. This is about the political agenda of the homosexual rights movement. Militant homosexuals demand acceptance, not just tolerance. Therefore, even reasonable science-based policy must be abolished if it is seen as "heterosexist."
But blood donation is not about the people who want to donate. The focus should be on the people who need blood donations. Those who demand the "right" to donate blood are inserting their selfish agenda into what should be a selfless and sacrificial act. My message to these people is very simple: It is not about you!
