Transgender man told he's "higher risk" for plasma donation
http://kfor.com/2015/08/20/transgender-man-told-hes-higher-risk-for-plasma-donation/
KFOR/Posted 6:00 pm, August 20, 2015, by Lorne Fultonberg,
"STILLWATER, Okla. — A transgender man at Oklahoma State University says he was turned away from a Stillwater plasma clinic because he was at a "higher risk for more dangerous behaviors."
Lucas Hart was born a female but identifies as a male. He's received testosterone shots as part of his gender identity transition."
That kind of thinking is so commonplace at donation places. I'm over my needle phobia thanks to HRT, but I'd never consider donating while these kinds of things keep happening. It's unfortunate for the people that need blood, but I'd never put myself in a position to be disrespected - especially by an organization that presumably needs something I have.
Note that the Red Cross spokesperson's statement uses the phrase "the donor" five times and never uses a pronoun:
Quote"We apologize if the donor felt uncomfortable during the donation process and have reached out to the donor directly. We are reviewing this particular situation to determine whether the donor is eligible to donate. If we determine that the donor was deferred in error, we will reinstate the donor."
Maybe this is just a standard reply, but I see three good opportunities to use male pronouns and not sound like some kind of "Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla" retread--or a bigot.
At the hight of the US AIDS epidemic it was decided that gay men could not donate blood because it was belived that they where most likely to bear the condition. In fact gay men did have higher rates of HIV infection but that changed a long time ago, mostly with things like free condoms and sex education. But the Law persists and as far as the restrictions are concerned in general all transgender people even those who have never even had sex are considered high risk. Those who have been in long term committed relationships who have recent tests done proving they are clean are still a problem. Even bisexual men who admit to having had sex with a man in the last several years are barred. Its nearly unbeliveable but then again less reasoned things happen all the time in this world.
Serena
I tried to donate to my local blood bank post-transition a few years ago. The blood bank refused to let me donate blood as a man until I have bottom surgery. I obviously don't have an inside track on their logic, but I can't see any earthly reason for this refusal to properly classify me. I agreed to donate anyway because I was already there and had gone to considerable trouble to donate. But I started disconnecting, and I had a meltdown afterward. Consequently, I won't be donating again.
The blood bank is thus missing out on my donation of one of the less common blood types, although, of course, there's always type O if there's a shortage.
I was told that the blood bank was following Red Cross guidelines. But I understand that plasma collection centers have their own rules.