The American Red Cross is now allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood without restrictions that specifically single out a person’s sexual orientation or gender, the nonprofit group said Monday.

  • IGuessThisIsForNSFW@yiffit.net
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    1 year ago

    Goddammit! I have o- blood and the red cross called me LITERALLY everyday after I donated the first time. I asked them to only call every quarter because I still did want to donate, but that just made them call every other day. Finally out of frustration I looked for anything that would make me ineligible to donate and the next time they called, I told them I was gay. All calls stopped after that.

    • DV8@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I found that making an appointment, no matter how far in the future makes them stop calling.

      I donate plasma (AB+) as often as I can, usually 2 weekly as that is the limit here. But if you’re single the 4 month halt for having sex with a new partner is annoying because they will keep calling while they say you can’t donate.

      • Stumblinbear@pawb.social
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        1 year ago

        How about they not call every single day when you’re only allowed to donate every couple months or so or, you know, you’d fucking die

        • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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          1 year ago

          What if I were to tell you they don’t call unless you’re eligible to donate again?

          (Also I just blocked them because I donate when I feel like and don’t need reminders)

          • IGuessThisIsForNSFW@yiffit.net
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            1 year ago

            Hi! I do just want to be clear that this was multiple months of calls and I did explain to multiple people that I have donated too recently for me to be eligible. This did not stop them from calling me again the very next day. Trust me, saying ‘I have had gay sex recently’ to blood donation associate was mortifying, if I had any other option I had already tried it.

            • Microw@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              Well that sounds like their internal systems suck. Here in Austria they have a robust database that sends me a SMS as soon as the waiting period is over from my last donation. It’s one SMS saying “you can donate again”, and that’s it. If I dont do it, they’ll call after a while. But never would they contact me while in the waiting period.

      • IGuessThisIsForNSFW@yiffit.net
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        1 year ago

        Trust me, this method did not work. I have donated blood 10+ times (Which isn’t a crazy amount, but I think it’s probably more than most people) because I know with universal donor blood it’s really valuable. But when you donated blood yesterday and they call you wanting more it can get pretty annoying…