JOSH@ibm.com (Josh Knight) (08/23/90)
[moderator note: Josh Knight recently sent me a note about his experiences in
giving blood.
The Red Cross uses IPC stickers to separate your donation into research or
transfusion categories. If your blood is potentially harmful (possible
hepatitis, high risk for AIDS, etc.) it is tagged with the "research" IPC.
Otherwise, it is tagged with the "transfusion" IPC. IPC stands for
International Product Code: the coding stripes used on food packages and
the like.
Josh took a close look at the IPC stickers: apparently the stickers are
different for each donator, so people who are donating blood with you (such
as a group of co-workers) cannot tell from looking at your IPC whether
you are in the research or transfusion category. This allows a certain
amount of confidentiality if you are in a high-risk group, and allows you
to donate and be honest about your status without fear of discrimination.
However, Josh also pointed out that some states may be able to obtain
information on HIV+ antibody status from blood donation tests. In these
states, I would recommend that individuals in high-risk categories simply
avoid donating blood entirely.
Josh also sent me information on the tests performed on donated blood.
I urge readers not in a high-risk category to regularly donate blood. Many
of us are now precluded from donating for transfusions because of our
status, and as a result blood is now in quite limited supply.
I also urge you to honestly present your status, if you do donate, since the
lives of others depend on the truthfulness of your answers--HIV antibody
tests, for example, are not reliable indicators of whether your blood is
infectious with HIV. -- Dan Greening / dgreen@cs.ucla.edu]
Here are the tests performed on donated blood products:
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
Hepatitis B Antigen
Hepatitis B Core Antibody
Hepatitis C Antibody
HIV Antibody
HTLV-1 Antibody
Serological test for Syphilis (STS)
I think the ALT tests for some abnormal liver condition. Also,
I seem to remember seeing somewhere that if you show up positive on any
of the above, you get called in to talk to a physician. The idea is to
give you counseling at the same time you get the results, but if you know
the procedure, you'd be a nervous wreck before you got the counseling.
They claim the results are confidential, but admit "Health Departments
have the authorization to obtain blood test results, including the results
of HIV (AIDS) antibody tests".
One thing that has changed since the last time I gave blood (April 6, 1990)
is that the person that looks for needle tracks on your arms, checks your
hematocrit, temperature and blood pressure now has a script to read about
using the confidential sticker to indicate whether or not to use your blood
for transfusion. She read the whole long list of things you're not supposed
to have done. The script is longer, but what is on the receipt that they
gave me is
o Past or present users of intravenous (IV) drugs
o Any man who has had sexual contact with another man since 1977,
even once
o Anyone who was born in or emigrated from Haiti or Africa, except
the following countries:
Algeria Libya Morocco Somalia Western Sahara
Egypt Mauritania Sudan Tunisia
o People with hemophilia or related clotting disorders
o People with a positive antibody test for the AIDS virus
o Sexual partners of AIDS patients or of people in any of the
above categories
o Men and women who have had sex for money or drugs since 1977
o People who have had sex with a male or female prostitute within
the past six months
The person that read it to me (and it was a script with "you shouldn't
if you have" prepended to all of the above) attributed this new
procedure to a government agency requirement.
Josh Knight <josh@ibm.com>