20 July 2011
-- Dear Diary
When I think of donating blood, I feel so good inside. I know some people are afraid of needles, while others are bit squemish when it comes to seeing their own blood flow into pouch that fills up to about a pint of liquid (as much as a dumpy), but I am willing to endure this so that another person may live. I asked my friend Henry to donate with me the next time I go. Like me, Henry is gay and he also believes in donating blood. But today I realized that to be gay and to donate blood carries a certain restriction one has to put oneself, a restrction on the desires of the flesh, if one could so speak:
Me: So we'll donate when u get back. Remember to use a condom and plenty of lube.
Henry: Ha ha lol, ur bad. I'll remember to tht whn I do my thang.
I remember sending him this text message when I found out he was on his way to Johanessburg, I know how easy it would be for him to find a man and have casual sex with him. It was then that I realized that Henry would not be able to donate if he had sex with a casual partner, even if it was protected! On the Namibia Blood Transfusion Service (NAMBTS) donor form there is question that asks:
'Have you had sexual intercourse with a casual partner in the last 12 months?' I therefore had to write Henry another message to warn him of what the consequences of casual sex would be:
Me: But if you have casual sex,you won't be able to donate blood with me ;(
Henry: Relax,Pancho, I'm not a manwhore, I'll donate with you.
The disclaimer on the NAMBTS form reads : '...because a condom is not 100% protection against HIV, you should not donate blood if you have had sex with someone who might be infected with HIV'. My impressions of gay men in Namibia is that they are actively disqualifying themselves from donating blood. They are having sex with short-term or casual partners, and I have approached by more than one of them on more than one ocasion. I chose to stay an eligible blood donor and I hope Henry will too.
When HIV first appeared in the US 30 years ago, contimated bloood transfused to unsuspecting hemophiliac patients,who often lose blood due to uncontrolled bleeding, was the unfortunate consequence of the actions of HIV positive gay blood donors who believed they were saving lives. Since then, our screening techologies for HIV in blood have improved considerably, but are still not 100% sensitive. And as for gay men and other men who have sex with men, they are still statisically most likely to be infected with HIV in the US. Hence the question on the US blood donation form:'If you are male, have you ever had sex with another man since 1978?' I was not even born then, but I would still answer no. But that may change once I decide to break the (unenforced) sodomy law of Namibia.
Then I would not be able to donate blood in the US.
However, I'm not in the US right now, I'm in Namibia. Here we can still donate provided we meet the criteria for low risk HIV infection, just like anyone else. This reason for this may be that the HIV epidemic amongst MSM in Namibia is thought to be just part of the larger generalized HIV epidemic amongst Namibians .This is not the case in Johannesburg (where Henry was going!). A study in Johanesburg found found men who have sex with men to have significantly higher HIV prevalence rates than that of the general population, a situation similar to that in the US and Western Europe. So while you can get married in those places, you can't donate blood as a gay man (though efforts are underway to repeal this, at least in the UK). In Namibia, we can donate blood and lets keep it that way. I pray that Not Another Man's Blood Test Seropositive (NAMBTS) for HIV. And as for marriage, it will come eventually.
When I think of donating blood, I feel so good inside. I know some people are afraid of needles, while others are bit squemish when it comes to seeing their own blood flow into pouch that fills up to about a pint of liquid (as much as a dumpy), but I am willing to endure this so that another person may live. I asked my friend Henry to donate with me the next time I go. Like me, Henry is gay and he also believes in donating blood. But today I realized that to be gay and to donate blood carries a certain restriction one has to put oneself, a restrction on the desires of the flesh, if one could so speak:
Me: So we'll donate when u get back. Remember to use a condom and plenty of lube.
Henry: Ha ha lol, ur bad. I'll remember to tht whn I do my thang.
I remember sending him this text message when I found out he was on his way to Johanessburg, I know how easy it would be for him to find a man and have casual sex with him. It was then that I realized that Henry would not be able to donate if he had sex with a casual partner, even if it was protected! On the Namibia Blood Transfusion Service (NAMBTS) donor form there is question that asks:
'Have you had sexual intercourse with a casual partner in the last 12 months?' I therefore had to write Henry another message to warn him of what the consequences of casual sex would be:
Me: But if you have casual sex,you won't be able to donate blood with me ;(
Henry: Relax,Pancho, I'm not a manwhore, I'll donate with you.
The disclaimer on the NAMBTS form reads : '...because a condom is not 100% protection against HIV, you should not donate blood if you have had sex with someone who might be infected with HIV'. My impressions of gay men in Namibia is that they are actively disqualifying themselves from donating blood. They are having sex with short-term or casual partners, and I have approached by more than one of them on more than one ocasion. I chose to stay an eligible blood donor and I hope Henry will too.
When HIV first appeared in the US 30 years ago, contimated bloood transfused to unsuspecting hemophiliac patients,who often lose blood due to uncontrolled bleeding, was the unfortunate consequence of the actions of HIV positive gay blood donors who believed they were saving lives. Since then, our screening techologies for HIV in blood have improved considerably, but are still not 100% sensitive. And as for gay men and other men who have sex with men, they are still statisically most likely to be infected with HIV in the US. Hence the question on the US blood donation form:'If you are male, have you ever had sex with another man since 1978?' I was not even born then, but I would still answer no. But that may change once I decide to break the (unenforced) sodomy law of Namibia.
Then I would not be able to donate blood in the US.
However, I'm not in the US right now, I'm in Namibia. Here we can still donate provided we meet the criteria for low risk HIV infection, just like anyone else. This reason for this may be that the HIV epidemic amongst MSM in Namibia is thought to be just part of the larger generalized HIV epidemic amongst Namibians .This is not the case in Johannesburg (where Henry was going!). A study in Johanesburg found found men who have sex with men to have significantly higher HIV prevalence rates than that of the general population, a situation similar to that in the US and Western Europe. So while you can get married in those places, you can't donate blood as a gay man (though efforts are underway to repeal this, at least in the UK). In Namibia, we can donate blood and lets keep it that way. I pray that Not Another Man's Blood Test Seropositive (NAMBTS) for HIV. And as for marriage, it will come eventually.
Pancho Mulongeni
Communications Officer
Namibia HIV Clincians' Society
writinghealth@gmail.com
+264 814456286
--
Pancho Mulongeni
Communications Officer
Namibia HIV Clincians' Society
writinghealth@gmail.com
+264 814456286
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