Does the Red Cross blood donor intake form identify trans people?

[Arch]

Somewhere, I read that the Red Cross tries to identify trans people on its blood donor intake forms. It could be that the person who said this was confusing the Red Cross with private companies that buy blood, so I thought I would ask y'all. I understand that the Red Cross DOES classify trans men as women if they have not had genital surgery. But does this organization actively try to find out whether people are trans? The website says nothing about this.

I'm also wondering whether local blood banks share info with the Red Cross. I'm guessing not--local blood banks seem to be their own entities, whereas the Red Cross is a national organization.

Any genuine information you have would be very helpful.

[noeleena]

Hi,

If your not known then yes you need to tell them what meds your on its not wether your trans or not its to do with drugs being taken  that could rule you  out from giveing blood,

Its not different for me & im intersexed,
Its a safe guard for you & others, so blood is not contaminated,
telling them your trans or intersex is just so they know what meds are involved  thats all .

It allso applys to any one on meds drugs what ever,
I have an idear they have a form you could read  so check that out,

Cant answer your other ? though i dought theyll give info on someone else,,  again check on that as well.
...noeleena..

[Arch]

If your not known then yes you need to tell them what meds your on its not wether your trans or not its to do with drugs being taken  that could rule you  out from giveing blood,

My local blood bank doesn't care whether I'm on T--and doesn't ask--so I'm guessing that the Red Cross doesn't ask, either. Testosterone isn't mentioned in their online list of disqualifications. But even if they do ask, lots of cis men are on T, so that medication wouldn't identify me as trans. The thing I read online--and I wish I could find it again--said that the Red Cross explicitly asks questions about people's genitals. This doesn't sound right to me.

I don't want to go out of my way to go to one of their blood drives only to find out that they are going to classify me as female. If I can be stealth, I'll consider donating. If not, I won't donate. But I want to have some idea in advance.

[blueconstancy]

I have never seen questions about genitals or trans status on Red Cross or even private hospital donor forms. And I read the info pretty carefully because I *do* have issues with other things the Red Cross asks/excludes. I suppose there's no way to know what information they're recording behind the scenes, particularly in individual situations rather than as organizational policy, but they don't appear to be explicitly collecting that data. If I were you I sure as heck wouldn't volunteer it, but I don't think they're going to ask...

As for sharing information, all I know is that anecdotally a couple of friends who were blackballed with the Red Cross remained welcome at their local hospitals.

[Sandy]

I was a lifetime donor with over 25 gallons contributed.  I received a commendation from the local Red Cross office for my contributions.  I used to go for apherisis donation twice a month.  That is the donation of white cells that cannot be preserved and must be used within 5 days.  Leukemia patients depend on it.  If you can give it, please do so.  Though it requires two hours on the machine instead of 10-15 minutes which whole blood.

When I told them I was taking estrogen and going through transition, I was immediately dropped from the program and forbidden to EVER contribute any blood products again.

Apparently by going through transition, I put myself into a "high risk" category (HIV, AIDS) and have become "unclean" or like a leper.  If anything, my life has become much less risky because I stopped the suicide attempts.

The FDA has continued to forbid anyone who is in the LGBT community to contribute even though the infection rate of HIV and AIDS is sigificantly lower than in the straight community these days.

Anyway, just to let you know, that if they find out that your are trans, they will deny your contribution and put you on the permanent black list.

-Sandy

[Arch]

I want to give whole blood to keep my hematocrit down. My trans clinic hassles me endlessly about it.

I do not plan to out myself to the Red Cross, but I wonder whether I would be permanently banned. When I went to the local blood bank to donate, I was told that because they had me classified as female (and hadn't had sex in a few years), I was allowed to donate. The nurse told me quite explicitly that they were following Red Cross guidelines.

I'm no fan of the Red Cross because of the lifetime gay ban, but I know that they must abide by the FDA guidelines. In recent years, at least, they have been supporting the repeal of the ban.

My local blood bank experiences--all two of them--have been humiliating and disempowering, so I will not go back there. So I thought maybe I could try the Red Cross and be stealth.

I'm sorry they banned you. I think they see MTFs as MSM and proceed accordingly. It sucks. But the ban only applies to people they perceive as gay men. Lesbians are still free to donate, and, if the local blood bank is correct, trans men can donate under certain circumstances.

[Asfsd4214]

Well it's certainly true that some of the drugs some of us take, the 5AR inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride being the most obvious examples will get you deferred, because of the risk to pregnant women.

I can't donate cause I have multiple sclerosis and a history of injection drug use, both bar you for life.

Being trans in itself won't usually get you deferred that I'm aware of.

Try to understand though, the list of stuff that gets you deferred is miles long, I don't know almost anyone who actually can donate. It's great that you want to donate, and I agree the rules could probably stand to be relaxed, but try to see it from a community health perspective.

Not being able to donate doesn't make you inferior.

[Arch]

Try to understand though, the list of stuff that gets you deferred is miles long, I don't know almost anyone who actually can donate. It's great that you want to donate, and I agree the rules could probably stand to be relaxed, but try to see it from a community health perspective.

Not being able to donate doesn't make you inferior.

I'm not sure whether you are responding to me or someone else. If me, I'm not sure what you are responding to in my posts! Can you clarify?

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

The Red Cross still ban gay men from donating as of 2012.  It thus stands to reason they they would view Transpeople in the same negative light.

[Lindacox]

Yes, as of January 23 2012 (my birthday)  The Red Cross does accept Blood from Transgender People.. They cannot ask you about your gender or if you are Transgender when you donate.

When you donate blood you go to any collection place, sign in, you answer the questions on the computer IN the gender that you are now. this means that if you are 24/7 female, you are female , same if you are 24/7 male, you are male. If you have donated in your birth gender you will only receive 1 phone call from a qualified Red Cross person, they will ask 1 question (Have you changed your gender to what it is Now ?) if you answer yes, your gender will be changed until/if you change it in the future. All questions on the computer are Now the Same in all 50 States. the only 2 questions that were different on on male and female questionnaires now are on both male and female questions.. Now men have to answer (#1) are you pregnant or ever have been pregnant ? Answers are, Yes ; No ; Male .. and the Women have to answer (#2)  Are you a man having Sex with men ? Answers are, Yes ; No ; Female . all other questions are unchanged.

There is still a ban on men having sex with men donating Blood.. I am Now working on the FDA along with the Red Cross to reverse this Ruling.  Our stand on this ; Everyones blood Donation is tested for HIV and Hepatitis and is tested again before it is used to save a life ..

Please understand If you know that you cannot donate for any reason please do not waste the Red Cross's time. If you have HIV or anything else that they test for, and do not know, you will get a phone call notifying  you.

I hope that this helps you to donate and live your life as You..
Huggs, Linda Cox
     

[Arch]

Wow, this sounds promising...actually, I would much rather donate to my local blood bank (it's much easier to get to, and it serves the local community), but my blood bank goes by Red Cross guidelines and has me listed as female. I'm not putting up with that. I had severe dysphoria the one time I donated, and I see no reason to put myself through it again.

If the Red Cross policy has changed, then perhaps my local blood bank has also changed its policy. I'll have to call and find out, I suppose.

When I spoke to the blood bank that day, they insisted on bottom surgery before they would change my sex in the system. It sounds like that isn't the case anymore. I hope.

Happy belated birthday!

[Lindacox]

Arch, I understand, please call the Red Cross and please check out what I have posted. If what I have said is not being done by your local Red Cross please let me know, As the National Red Cross wants to know if any of it's offices are not doing this..

I am the one who worked with the National Red Cross In Washington D.C.  to help set this up. I have been 24/7 m-f for over 12 years and I got tired of donating, hearing the there is a trans-person donating talk going around the room. I had to answer the female questions on the computer then answer the male questions on paper then the person who drew the short straw would have to draw the blood. Then a few days I would get a phone call from what sounded like a collage student asking me the same questions that I answered at the donation center. Then 3-4 days later I would get a phone call from supervisor at the Red Cross asking me the Same questions over again in random order, trying to trick me. This is when I contacted the National Red Cross to discuss this Bull-S.. after talking together for about 6 hours; the person at the Nat Red Cross and myself came up with a few ideas. she got back with me about a week later and told me about their decision and ask me what I thought. After talking to several trans-people, I called her back and things were changed. Now, since things have changed I have donated several times. Here in Columbus Ohio we are having another Brothers in Blood drive April 2 2013. Also This spring we will start trans education for all of the Red Cross employees here in Columbus. I hope this helps.