2008 Woodie Awards
Will there be blood?
Low attendance for De Anza blood drive
Sonia Easaw
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: News
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"We need [students'] blood," said lead registered nurse Susan Belanger, who noticed the low student turnout this quarter, perhaps because students didn't have the opportunity to make an appointment at the table prior to the day's drive.
Students must fill out a questionnaire before giving blood, which includes questions concerning travel, medical history and sexual practices.
Also, students must be at least 17 years of age and weigh 110 pounds. Blood pressure, temperature, pulse, weight and hemoglobin levels are recorded to ensure the student is eligible to give blood.
San Jose State recently banned blood drives altogether in protest of a Food and Drug Administration policy that does not allow male homosexuals who have had sex after 1977 to give blood.
"Students are our biggest donors," said Belanger, who hopes that the SJSU ban won't be copied at other colleges.
"We don't care what your lifestyle is; we are targeting the virus," said Belanger about preventing the spread of HIV.
Sexually active gay men account for approximately two-thirds of HIV infections in California, according to the Stanford Blood Center web site, and this is the premise for not allowing sexually active gay men to donate blood.
The Stanford Blood Center follows the rules set forth by the FDA, but disagrees with the policy, supporting the idea of a one year deferral for men who have had sex with other men. If it has been a year since a man has had sex with another man, it would provide a better test for HIV than a blind test, because there is a period of time when infectious diseases are not detectable by any blood test.
"This policy has to be changed by the FDA, not us," said public relations associate Brooke Krannich of the Stanford Blood Center.
"We try to ensure the safest blood supply possible," Krannich said.
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