American Red Cross Dogged by Allegations of Discrimination
Some say blood donor guidelines unreasonably discriminate against gay men and Africans
Nick Will, Editor In Chief
Issue date: 1/28/02 Section: News & Campus Affairs
The American Red Cross faces continued allegations of discrimination against gay men and Africans for its guidelines that prevent certain people from donating blood through the organization's blood drives, such as the one being hosted on the Harvard Business School campus.
The Red Cross blood donation eligibility guidelines are designed to protect the safety of the nation's blood supply, and they are issued in concert with guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The guidelines require that people with certain blood disease risks refrain from donating blood, usually for a period of twelve months to three years.
A person who has had a tattoo must wait twelve months before donating blood, as do people who have been treated for syphilis or gonorrhea or have used intranasal cocaine. Those who have delivered a baby must wait six weeks. Because of BSE, (so-called "mad cow disease"), new requirements disqualify potential donors who have spent more than three months in the United Kingdom or six months in Europe or Oman since 1980.
The guidelines leading to discrimination allegations, however, relate to HIV risk. Current guidelines prevent anyone born in or who has lived in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equator Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria since 1977. Of these countries, currently eleven HBS students list their home region as Nigeria. The Red Cross does not state why these particular countries are singled out in the policy.
Says Feyi Folowosele (NF), from Nigeria, "When I found out about the restriction, I was quite incredulous because I don't fully understand the basis of selection for the countries listed. I believe there are many other countries with a higher incidence of AIDS than those listed. I think it's quite discriminatory given that anybody could be at risk for HIV and all donated blood should be tested anyway. It's a shame that it restricts many able bodied and healthy people from giving blood."
The Red Cross blood donation eligibility guidelines are designed to protect the safety of the nation's blood supply, and they are issued in concert with guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The guidelines require that people with certain blood disease risks refrain from donating blood, usually for a period of twelve months to three years.
A person who has had a tattoo must wait twelve months before donating blood, as do people who have been treated for syphilis or gonorrhea or have used intranasal cocaine. Those who have delivered a baby must wait six weeks. Because of BSE, (so-called "mad cow disease"), new requirements disqualify potential donors who have spent more than three months in the United Kingdom or six months in Europe or Oman since 1980.
The guidelines leading to discrimination allegations, however, relate to HIV risk. Current guidelines prevent anyone born in or who has lived in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equator Guinea, Gabon, Niger, or Nigeria since 1977. Of these countries, currently eleven HBS students list their home region as Nigeria. The Red Cross does not state why these particular countries are singled out in the policy.
Says Feyi Folowosele (NF), from Nigeria, "When I found out about the restriction, I was quite incredulous because I don't fully understand the basis of selection for the countries listed. I believe there are many other countries with a higher incidence of AIDS than those listed. I think it's quite discriminatory given that anybody could be at risk for HIV and all donated blood should be tested anyway. It's a shame that it restricts many able bodied and healthy people from giving blood."