As blood donations decline, U.S. ban on gay donors is examined

[Shadow]

(CNN) -- The American Red Cross says power outages created by recent storms in the East and Midwest cut blood donations, which were already low this summer. In June there was a nationwide shortfall, with donations down more than 10% across the country.
"We are asking people to please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit us at redcrossblood.org (http://www.redcrossblood.org/)to find a way to donate if they can," said Stephanie Millian, Red Cross director of biomedical communications. "We need people's help."

One group that would like to help, but legally can't, may be moving one step closer to eligibility. Since the 1980s, when the AIDS epidemic decimated their community, gay men -- or MSMs (men who have sex with men) as they are called by federal agencies -- have not been allowed to donate blood. (http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/bloodbloodproducts/questionsaboutblood/ucm108186.htm) In June, a group of 64 U.S. legislators led by Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sent a letter (http://www.kerry.senate.gov/press/release/?id=a13ded2e-2dde-4fa3-9b40-789740492475)to the Department of Health and Human Services encouraging it to move forward with a study that may lead to the end of the decades-old ban.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/health/gay-men-blood-ban/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

[Noir]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.

[Kathianne]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.

Had to do with the early years:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/71354-hiv-history/


<section class="section"> Virus Found Doctors at the Institute Pasteur in France reported isolating the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, in May 1983. It was later learned that scientists may have isolated the virus in an early case of AIDS in 1959. The virus is believed to have originated in Africa. Many people contracted AIDS in the early 1980s through blood transfusions tainted with HIV. FDA-approved HIV antibody tests were developed in 1985 so blood could be screened in hospitals.

</section>

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/71354-hiv-history/#ixzz1zwnBgKuf



However, the fear of transmission continued, though I'm pretty sure most Americans are over that and recognize the testing is reliable now.

[Shadow]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.

I didn't even know there was a ban on the gay community giving blood. They test everyone before allowing a donation anyway so not sure why this is still an issue.

[mundame]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.


Because homosexuals often have really awful diseases. Hepatitus, AIDS, all sorts of blood-borne diseases that they readily pass on to each other because there is so much blood transfer in their form of sex, an unnatural form that results in constant injury and re-injury.

I think this is a bad, bad idea. It's going to lead to lots of people getting homosexual blood-borne diseases, and that isn't fair, IMO.

[Kathianne]

Because homosexuals often have really awful diseases. Hepatitus, AIDS, all sorts of blood-borne diseases that they readily pass on to each other because there is so much blood transfer in their form of sex, an unnatural form that results in constant injury and re-injury.

I think this is a bad, bad idea. It's going to lead to lots of people getting homosexual blood-borne diseases, and that isn't fair, IMO.

Crazy talk! I am sorry, but they have tests to check before distributing blood or products.

[mundame]

Crazy talk! I am sorry, but they have tests to check before distributing blood or products.


I hope so; and I hope the tests work. I could be a little behind the times; I remember well when all those people with hemophilia were dying of AIDS from the blood products they had to have; I remember when people giving blood had to answer the most appalling personal questions first.

I guess I don't believe they test all the blood and the tests work all the time; I happen to know for a fact that there is a major initiative locally for getting people to pre-store their own blood for operations --- and there would be a reason for that.

[Kathianne]

I hope so; and I hope the tests work. I could be a little behind the times; I remember well when all those people with hemophilia were dying of AIDS from the blood products they had to have; I remember when people giving blood had to answer the most appalling personal questions first.

I guess I don't believe they test all the blood and the tests work all the time; I happen to know for a fact that there is a major initiative locally for getting people to pre-store their own blood for operations --- and there would be a reason for that.

15-20 years ago. Read what I posted from CDC.

[Nukeman]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.They also ban you if you take certain cardiac drugs and if you have a recent tattoo, or if you have been out of country recently.. Its looking at demographics and the potential to have something that can be passed onto an already traumatized and weakened system of a person..

What do you think would happen to the Red Cross/hospital/doctors office/emergency room/surgical center if they sent tainted blood out in the current system we have with sue happy patients and lawyers. Used to be first rule in medicine was "Do no harm". Now its CYA (cover your ass). Kinda sad don't you think?????

[mundame]

I remember when my aunt died it turned out (to the family's considerable surprise) that she had a lot of male homosexual friends from a garden group. They were awfully nice and they managed the whole funeral, really --- one pointed out that they were good at that, they did it so often.

I have never forgotten how thin they were; they were like concentration camp victims. They all had AIDS, of course.

No, I think it's a bad, bad idea for homosexuals to give blood. Their sexual practices usually involve a lot of different people, and it IS homosexuals who get and transmit AIDS. PC is all very well, but AIDS and hepatitis are dire diseases.

I'm sticking with that; this is a bad idea, IMO.

[Noir]

I hope so; and I hope the tests work. I could be a little behind the times; I remember well when all those people with hemophilia were dying of AIDS from the blood products they had to have; I remember when people giving blood had to answer the most appalling personal questions first.

I guess I don't believe they test all the blood and the tests work all the time; I happen to know for a fact that there is a major initiative locally for getting people to pre-store their own blood for operations --- and there would be a reason for that.

You still have to answer 'the most appalling personal questions' I memo the first time I gave blood and the nurse was going through the form and she asked if I'd given or received oral sex with another man, then at the end when she asked if I'd any questions I asked her about that and she said any sexual contact with another man would mean I couldn't donate. Someone being barred for life for having received oral? Has to be said that's a little extreme.

But every cloud has a silver lining, and surly there's no better way to for a man to convince his lady that their threesomes need to be with another woman, not a man, for the sake of the children that need his blood =P

[DragonStryk72]

I didn't even know there was a ban on the gay community giving blood. They test everyone before allowing a donation anyway so not sure why this is still an issue.

Yeah, it goes back to the AIDS epidimic's early stages, when we didn't know much about it. The Red Cross, like any bureaucracy, is slow to come around on things, and it just hasn't really been an issue up until now, because we had at least enough donors for the most part. I just gave blood, myself, the other day, since I'm a universal donor.

[DragonStryk72]

I remember when my aunt died it turned out (to the family's considerable surprise) that she had a lot of male homosexual friends from a garden group. They were awfully nice and they managed the whole funeral, really --- one pointed out that they were good at that, they did it so often.

I have never forgotten how thin they were; they were like concentration camp victims. They all had AIDS, of course.

No, I think it's a bad, bad idea for homosexuals to give blood. Their sexual practices usually involve a lot of different people, and it IS homosexuals who get and transmit AIDS. PC is all very well, but AIDS and hepatitis are dire diseases.

I'm sticking with that; this is a bad idea, IMO.

that may have been true back in her day, but nowadays? The disease has spread, through homosexual and heterosexuals alike. So either we need to ban both, or neither purely based upon sexuality.

The blood can be tested easily, efficiently, and accurately to make sure contaminated blood is not getting out the door.

[Mr. P]

Yeah, it goes back to the AIDS epidimic's early stages, when we didn't know much about it. The Red Cross, like any bureaucracy, is slow to come around on things, and it just hasn't really been an issue up until now, because we had at least enough donors for the most part. I just gave blood, myself, the other day, since I'm a universal donor.

Type "O" are ya.

[Shadow]

Yeah, it goes back to the AIDS epidimic's early stages, when we didn't know much about it. The Red Cross, like any bureaucracy, is slow to come around on things, and it just hasn't really been an issue up until now, because we had at least enough donors for the most part. I just gave blood, myself, the other day, since I'm a universal donor.

Yeah...I was reading up on the FDA's reasons for banning the gay community as well as,intravenous drug users and people paid for sex.... from blood donation.

Apparently the FDA says HIV tests currently in use still cannot detect the virus 100 percent of the time (even though they can be highly accurate). Place risk of tainted blood from this group at 1 per 2 million.

We will see if they change their mind.

[DragonStryk72]

Yeah...I was reading up on the FDA's reasons for banning the gay community as well as,intravenous drug users and people paid for sex.... from blood donation.

Apparently the FDA says HIV tests currently in use still cannot detect the virus 100 percent of the time (even though they can be highly accurate). Place risk of tainted blood from this group at 1 per 2 million.

We will see if they change their mind.

Actually, they can detect it almost that often, but they are required to state they cannot. There is nothing in this world that is 100% safe, period. You have the same exact chance of them missing it as you do of getting struck by lightning on your way to the car afterward. Sure it could happen, but that doesn't mean you'll wear a grounded rubber suit wherever you go.

Yeah, I'm type O neg, and I've been donating since I was in high school, with my parents' permission. They triple check all the blood they before it is ever sent out, so all in all, it's pretty safe.

[jafar00]

Because homosexuals often have really awful diseases. Hepatitus, AIDS, all sorts of blood-borne diseases that they readily pass on to each other because there is so much blood transfer in their form of sex, an unnatural form that results in constant injury and re-injury.

I think this is a bad, bad idea. It's going to lead to lots of people getting homosexual blood-borne diseases, and that isn't fair, IMO.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point. Aren't all people who engage in risky behaviour banned anyway? That includes drug users of which homosexuals are often as well.

[Trigg]

They love me.......type A-


As far as the ban on gay donors. How long does it take to test blood for HIV or AIDS now?

[Abbey Marie]

I like the idea of storing my own blood. But I'm not sure I can trust anyone to give that exact blood back to me or mine.

[jimnyc]

I have no idea what blood type I am. I hope the hospitals can find out rather quickly if I need any! Is this something I should know? LOL

[Trigg]

I have no idea what blood type I am. I hope the hospitals can find out rather quickly if I need any! Is this something I should know? LOL


when you donate they tell you what type you are, of course if you are rare they send you requests all the time.

[Noir]

I like the idea of storing my own blood. But I'm not sure I can trust anyone to give that exact blood back to me or mine.

Frozen plasma would need to be replaced yearly, given you can only donate four times a year, you'd be cutting your yearly output by a quarter. I can see why people would want to do it, but all the same...

[Nell's Room]

Because homosexuals often have really awful diseases. Hepatitus, AIDS, all sorts of blood-borne diseases that they readily pass on to each other because there is so much blood transfer in their form of sex, an unnatural form that results in constant injury and re-injury.

I think this is a bad, bad idea. It's going to lead to lots of people getting homosexual blood-borne diseases, and that isn't fair, IMO.

Yet a large percentage of heterosexual couples engage in anal sex, but they are not excluded - why?

[Nukeman]

Yet a large percentage of heterosexual couples engage in anal sex, but they are not excluded - why?

Because the lack of MUTIPLE partners... Anal sex as a whole is not the issue its the many partners that are prevailent in the homosexual lifestyle/community. If you are hetero and have MANY partners they tell you the SAME thing!!!!!!! This is NOT a discrimination thing its a SAFETY thing palin and simple. Its all about being safe with the blood that others will have to put in theri body with NO chance of stopping anything that may be in it!!!

[Noir]

Because the lack of MUTIPLE partners... Anal sex as a whole is not the issue its the many partners that are prevailent in the homosexual lifestyle/community. If you are hetero and have MANY partners they tell you the SAME thing!!!!!!! This is NOT a discrimination thing its a SAFETY thing palin and simple. Its all about being safe with the blood that others will have to put in theri body with NO chance of stopping anything that may be in it!!!

I have never been asked on a donation form how many women i've slept with, just sayin'

[DragonStryk72]

Because the lack of MUTIPLE partners... Anal sex as a whole is not the issue its the many partners that are prevailent in the homosexual lifestyle/community. If you are hetero and have MANY partners they tell you the SAME thing!!!!!!! This is NOT a discrimination thing its a SAFETY thing palin and simple. Its all about being safe with the blood that others will have to put in theri body with NO chance of stopping anything that may be in it!!!

Yeah, I've never been asked about my conquests, or even if I've had sex recently, let alone getting banned for having sex even one time, and plenty of guys aren't safe. You're really going to try and say that a man-whore who's banging drunk sluts every weekend is somehow less of a risk than a gay man in a monogamous relationship? How?

Unless you are living the gay lifestyle, Nuke, which I'm suspecting not, then you're really not arguing from the point of knowledge here. It would be like judging every woman by Girls Gone Wild.

[Shadow]

I have never been asked on a donation form how many women i've slept with, just sayin'

I have. When I first filled out the paperwork to donate blood,they did ask about past and current sexual partners.

[Kathianne]

I donate a few times per year, my kids more frequently. Here's from the source we go to:


http://www.lifesource.org/donatingQual.asp


http://www.lifesource.org/images%5CDBeligibility.gif <!--End Header --> <!-- Begin Body -->
You are eligible to donate blood if you ....


Weigh at least 110 pounds.

Are in good physical health.

Are at least 17 years old (there is no upper age limit).

Have not given blood in the past eight weeks (56 days).

As of March 2, 2010 LifeSource will no longer be deferring donors who received a tattoo after January 1, 2010 in a state that regulates its tattoo facilities. (Illinois is a regulated state.)



You are not eligible to donate blood if you ....


Have had hepatitis (not including childhood exposure).

Are pregnant.

Have ever tested positive for HIV, have engaged in high risk behavior, or have had intimate contact with anyone at risk for AIDS.

Have Babesiosis or Chagas Disease.


You may be temporarily ineligible to donate if you ...


Have the flu, a sore throat or fever.

Are taking antibiotics for an infection..

Have had heart problems.

Received a blood transfusion in the past 12 months.

Have been recently vaccinated (time of deferral varies). Flu shots do not disqualify you from donating.

Have had a history of cancer (other than skin cancer).

Lived in or traveled to a malaria area.

Have recently had a sexually transmitted disease or mononucleosis.

[Nell's Room]

Because the lack of MUTIPLE partners... Anal sex as a whole is not the issue its the many partners that are prevailent in the homosexual lifestyle/community. If you are hetero and have MANY partners they tell you the SAME thing!!!!!!! This is NOT a discrimination thing its a SAFETY thing palin and simple. Its all about being safe with the blood that others will have to put in theri body with NO chance of stopping anything that may be in it!!!

If I was a gay man and wanted to donate blood, all I need to do is claim I am straight. I could even insist I was a virgin. How are the staff meant to know I was actually gay?

[Nukeman]

If I was a gay man and wanted to donate blood, all I need to do is claim I am straight. I could even insist I was a virgin. How are the staff meant to know I was actually gay?
Well if you are donating to HELP people I would expect that you would be honest!!! If you are just trying to get your blood into someone else you could go right ahead and be dishonest. Hopefully you're not a person that just want to do harm to a perfect stranger through your lies!!!


Yeah, I've never been asked about my conquests, or even if I've had sex recently, let alone getting banned for having sex even one time, and plenty of guys aren't safe. You're really going to try and say that a man-whore who's banging drunk sluts every weekend is somehow less of a risk than a gay man in a monogamous relationship? How?

Unless you are living the gay lifestyle, Nuke, which I'm suspecting not, then you're really not arguing from the point of knowledge here. It would be like judging every woman by Girls Gone Wild. You have to look at overall community, historically the gay community has lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. You can split hairs and tell me about how not all do and you're correct but the bottom line is safety. The gay community used to be big donors before the AIDS epidemic and after a number of people were infected through blood transfusions the medical community had to act in the BEST interest of all, not just the feeling of the gay community!!

This is NOT me bashing the gay community for being gay it is all about safety. All blood is tested AFTER it is collected I forget the percentage that is disposed of but it is higher than you would expect, so if they can keep the contaminated blood to a minimum through questions and lifestyle choices than that's for the better of everyone...

[Noir]

Well if you are donating to HELP people I would expect that you would be honest!!! If you are just trying to get your blood into someone else you could go right ahead and be dishonest. Hopefully you're not a person that just want to do harm to a perfect stranger through your lies!!!
You have to look at overall community, historically the gay community has lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. You can split hairs and tell me about how not all do and you're correct but the bottom line is safety. The gay community used to be big donors before the AIDS epidemic and after a number of people were infected through blood transfusions the medical community had to act in the BEST interest of all, not just the feeling of the gay community!!

This is NOT me bashing the gay community for being gay it is all about safety. All blood is tested AFTER it is collected I forget the percentage that is disposed of but it is higher than you would expect, so if they can keep the contaminated blood to a minimum through questions and lifestyle choices than that's for the better of everyone...

Whereas hetrosexual university students are known to have a very manogomous lifestyle...

though at the very least should they store gays blood as a last resort? I mean obviously do the testing etc and keep the 'good' blood, Then if there's an emergency, and a person needs a type of blood or they'll die, and there is no 'hetro blood' then they use the reserve 'gay blood'. If (on the rare chance) the gay blood happened to not have a virus picked up during tests (which ofcorse is just as likely to happen to hetro blood) then someone's life has been saved, but they now have herpes.

Chose between being dead and living with herpies? Easy, no?

[Nukeman]

Whereas hetrosexual university students are known to have a very manogomous lifestyle...

though at the very least should they store gays blood as a last resort? I mean obviously do the testing etc and keep the 'good' blood, Then if there's an emergency, and a person needs a type of blood or they'll die, and there is no 'hetro blood' then they use the reserve 'gay blood'. If (on the rare chance) the gay blood happened to not have a virus picked up during tests (which ofcorse is just as likely to happen to hetro blood) then someone's life has been saved, but they now have herpes.

Chose between being dead and living with herpies? Easy, no?You know we can sit here all day and say how promiscuous hetero vs gay are but the bottom line is that the AIDS virus and other viruses are MUCH higher among the gay community. say what you want it comes down to the odds and safety. You go right ahead and advocate for whatever you want I really don't care as for me I will take safety first when it comes to defenseless people.

Profiling works for almost EVERY situation and this is one of those where it is better to be safe than sorry. If you feel otherwise Than by all means use what you want!!!

[Nell's Room]

Well if you are donating to HELP people I would expect that you would be honest!!! If you are just trying to get your blood into someone else you could go right ahead and be dishonest. Hopefully you're not a person that just want to do harm to a perfect stranger through your lies!!!
You have to look at overall community, historically the gay community has lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. You can split hairs and tell me about how not all do and you're correct but the bottom line is safety. The gay community used to be big donors before the AIDS epidemic and after a number of people were infected through blood transfusions the medical community had to act in the BEST interest of all, not just the feeling of the gay community!!

This is NOT me bashing the gay community for being gay it is all about safety. All blood is tested AFTER it is collected I forget the percentage that is disposed of but it is higher than you would expect, so if they can keep the contaminated blood to a minimum through questions and lifestyle choices than that's for the better of everyone...

The blood you donate is tested anyway, so if someone has Aids, they would find that out and the blood would be discarded. If I was a gay man and wanted to donate, I would lie. No one has the right to tell someone they cannot try and save a life.

Whats next? Gay people not allowed to donate their organs after their death?

[mundame]

This movement to get homosexuals able to donate blood is just part of the overall whitewashing of homosexuality going on. The campaign is to make it taboo for anyone to say homosexual behavior is in any way worse than normal behavior, however many diseases homosexuals have.

But I think it's clear that the more people with dire diseases give blood, the more infected blood will slip through the testing system and kill people who should have been better protected by a better system than one vitiated by a PC campaign.

[DragonStryk72]

Well if you are donating to HELP people I would expect that you would be honest!!! If you are just trying to get your blood into someone else you could go right ahead and be dishonest. Hopefully you're not a person that just want to do harm to a perfect stranger through your lies!!!
You have to look at overall community, historically the gay community has lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. You can split hairs and tell me about how not all do and you're correct but the bottom line is safety. The gay community used to be big donors before the AIDS epidemic and after a number of people were infected through blood transfusions the medical community had to act in the BEST interest of all, not just the feeling of the gay community!!

This is NOT me bashing the gay community for being gay it is all about safety. All blood is tested AFTER it is collected I forget the percentage that is disposed of but it is higher than you would expect, so if they can keep the contaminated blood to a minimum through questions and lifestyle choices than that's for the better of everyone...

Um, again, no they don't. Stop projecting that stereotype. I have gay friends, a gay dad, and not one single gay I have known or met has been promiscuous like you keep saying. So either I'm having the strangest run of luck ever heard of, or your generalized stereotype does not reflect the reality.

Blood transfusions are completely safe nowadays, again because of the triple checks they make of the blood before it ever leaves the facility it was taken in. So why is sexuality in and of itself a disqualifying problem?

And heterosexual can be just as promiscuous as you accuse gays of being. There are about million sites on the internet that can be used as video evidence of that point.

[Nukeman]

Um, again, no they don't. Stop projecting that stereotype. I have gay friends, a gay dad, and not one single gay I have known or met has been promiscuous like you keep saying. So either I'm having the strangest run of luck ever heard of, or your generalized stereotype does not reflect the reality.

Blood transfusions are completely safe nowadays, again because of the triple checks they make of the blood before it ever leaves the facility it was taken in. So why is sexuality in and of itself a disqualifying problem?

And heterosexual can be just as promiscuous as you accuse gays of being. There are about million sites on the internet that can be used as video evidence of that point.or YOU are conveniently forgetting the bath houses of the 70's and 80's in larger cities that caused the MASSIVE spread of AIDS in the gay community!! Do you deny that AIDS has been and still is MORE prevalent in the gay community??



The blood you donate is tested anyway, so if someone has Aids, they would find that out and the blood would be discarded. If I was a gay man and wanted to donate, I would lie. No one has the right to tell someone they cannot try and save a life.

Whats next? Gay people not allowed to donate their organs after their death? Are you willing to dismiss a level of caution just so YOU feel better about yourself??? I'm not. As for the organs.. guess what IF you can't donate blood you can't donate organs..

I can't believe that you guys are willing to forgo a level of checks just so YOU feel good about how you feel about gays in general. By your rational we whould NEVER profile anyone for anything EVER. I mean after all it wasn't 20 something arab males that took over those flights in 2001 was it and it hasn't been Muslims who have attempted to do similar things recently so we should just STOP looking for them.. After all we want to feel inclusive and happy NOT SAFE!!

[Noir]

or YOU are conveniently forgetting the bath houses of the 70's and 80's in larger cities that caused the MASSIVE spread of AIDS in the gay community!! Do you deny that AIDS has been and still is MORE prevalent in the gay community??

So why not have the same questions for gays and straights? There will be gays who are monogamous, would you deny those gays the right to donate?


Are you willing to dismiss a level of caution just so YOU feel better about yourself??? I'm not. As for the organs.. guess what IF you can't donate blood you can't donate organs..

Odd. My organ donation card never asked my sexuality or sexual history, is it different in the states?


I can't believe that you guys are willing to forgo a level of checks just so YOU feel good about how you feel about gays in general. By your rational we whould NEVER profile anyone for anything EVER. I mean after all it wasn't 20 something arab males that took over those flights in 2001 was it and it hasn't been Muslims who have attempted to do similar things recently so we should just STOP looking for them.. After all we want to feel inclusive and happy NOT SAFE!!

All I'm saying is be reasonable, you can't profile a gay who's had 5 partners, and a hetro who's had 50, and automatically remove the gay from the pool because of 'probable promiscuity'.

Take double test samples of their blood if needs be, so it's subjected to six tests not three, or maybe only accept blood from older gays that have 'settled down' and have been screened in STI/STD clinics before becoming able to donate. But if your 'reasonable' reply is 'You once had another man give you oral? Banned for life' you look pretty paranoid.

[jimnyc]

Um, again, no they don't. Stop projecting that stereotype. I have gay friends, a gay dad, and not one single gay I have known or met has been promiscuous like you keep saying. So either I'm having the strangest run of luck ever heard of, or your generalized stereotype does not reflect the reality.

I've got no doubt whatsoever what you say is true, DS. But that doesn't mean the promiscuous activity doesn't exist. Go into the city, the village area, and there are bars and other public places where the gay folks engage nightly and on weekends, more or less looking for another fling. Not much different than guys and gals that go to clubs and bars looking for new girlfriends and boyfriends all the time. It's just that the activity amongst gay folks is more likely to lead to infection and disease.

[taft2012]

Two things i've never understood - Why people who can give blood don't, and why the gays are excluded.

Regarding your second question, I suggest visiting a psychic or a medium and asking Arthur Ashe.

[Kathianne]

http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-says-dentist-put-thousands-hiv-risk-reused-024758980.html


Colorado says dentist put thousands at HIV risk from reused syringeshttp://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FZN6924R0WZ__x92.x6.GA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/logo/reuters/d0c3eb8ca18907492a4b337b5cec5193.jpeg (http://www.reuters.com/)<cite id="yui_3_5_1_22_1342252460824_361" class="byline vcard">By Keith Coffman

</cite>DENVER (Reuters) - A suspended Colorado dentist reused syringes and needles in his now-shuttered practice, potentially exposing thousands of patients to HIV and hepatitis infection, health officials warned on Friday.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sent letters to 8,000 patients of dentist Stephen Stein, urging them to seek tests for the diseases after learning of "unsafe injection practices" at two Denver-area clinics he owned between September 1999 and June 2011.


Investigators found that Stein reused needles and syringes in several patients' intravenous lines at his oral ssurgery and dental implant clinics, in violation of standard medical protocol, the department said in a statement.


"This practice has been shown to transmit infections," the statement said. It added that there had been no confirmed cases of anyone contracting the viral infections through Stein's clinics.


In the letters sent to Stein's former patients, the health department urged them to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, said Jan Stapleman, a department spokeswoman.


Stein's records were incomplete, so it is likely more people were possibly exposed than those already identified, she said...



How easy it is. if one wants to transmit...