giving blood

[lobolance]

I gave blood at the Red Cross on Saturday. For the first time, at the start of the questions, I was asked 'were you born biologically male or female?'. The admin clearly thought I was joking when she heard the answer. But I wasn't. As a note, I'm rather used to lying about who I have sex with, but, as usual, I didn't think to lie when asked a new direct question (I don't do much off-the-cuff lying ;-) ).

So, clueless what to do, the admin got her supervisor (who was a really cool person) who called their off-site supervisor after much debating of tactics (they did want to ensure my privacy). She came back with the info that I had to be entered as female (after years donating as male!) in order for the 'correct' questions to be had.

However, the upper supervisor personally guaranteed he would call whomever and get some kinda note made so no 'mistakes' would be made. I was already clear with myself that I would walk out and never come back if I had to deal with gender confusion from some telemarketer in the future on account of this. Of course, I can always just add lying about my birth sex to my standard answers to their questions (should I donate again). It's all rather tiresome.

With some misgivings, I agreed to go forward. ... I have rather rare blood, and it's useful for me to donate, as like many transmen, my red blood cell count can get a little high.

So, we'll see what happens next time I get called to donate blood.

I find I remain really rather angry. I worked so hard to get all 'f's removed from legal papers, and here one is again, entirely needlessly.

At least I had a good conversation with the local supervisor about how poor and unscientific much of their screening process is. And I really will call her (as well as the upper supervisor) if I have any problems (in order to say what happened and to take me off their call list).

It's worth noting that they had to ask the bio question... and had no plan for dealing with the answer!

Comments

[didjiman.livejournal.com]

The whole sh*tstorm starting with "have you ever have sex with a gay man" thing is just getting ridiculous. What they need is better screening for pathogen, and stop eliminating people based on some weird criteria. Certainly, they should ask "do you think you have some sort of STD or other transmittable disease, but...

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

I would suggest that all organizations, unless they really have a DNA need, probably shouldn't ask the question. Avoid embarrassing moments like yours. If you don't need to know, Just Don't Ask. How hard is that?
OK, I'll admit. I never knew. Then again I never needed to ask. You were one of Kevin and Andy's good friends and a good person and that was all that mattered.
Now I know. Nope, Doesn't change a thing.
Give your doctors an Attaboy though. They did a good job.
So, I would say that makes you male, unless someone is running DNA tests (that pesky XX).
And you're still One of Guys to me.

[lobolance.livejournal.com]

LOL I like the comment about my doctors. :-) Give most of the credit directly to the testosterone though.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

I am vaguely weirded out by the idea that I know people who only know you post-transition and didn't know you were transgendered. Hmm!

[lobolance.livejournal.com]

huh. interesting. many people only know me post-transition. Identity is an interesting thing isn't it, no matter where you come at it.

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's why I've given up asking. I figure if someone comes on to me, we'll figure it out then. Until then, it doesn't really need to be asked.
Until then I have the Good People pile and the Not Nice People pile and that's enough.

[svashtar.livejournal.com]

Having only just met our venerable hero last BayCon (we were blind roommates), I have to say I was totally clueless. Of course it hardly matters to me what people identify as, as long as they are happy with themselves.

But it totally should not matter to the blood donor folks what sex you are/were/will be. It should only matter what blood type, whether or not you've recently been pierced, and whether or not you've had any communicable diseases/share needles/do other weird and nasty things that cause weird and nasty blood born pathogens to invade other people.

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

There is very little actual logic in the blood donation process. Your birth-gender should not have any bearing on the questions asked.
Me? I can't donate (and I have a rare type) because over 20 years ago I had Hep A. Now Hep A does not stay with you. Once you're well, you're well, and you can't transmit it to anyone. But have the word hepatitus witha 'yes' anywhere near it and you can't ever donate.
Stupid.
I'm sorry you had to go through this bullshit.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

I had one of those awkward conversations with Older Child recently, because he was going to donate blood for the first time. He asked me why I didn't, and I said that A) I am a fainter and have problems when anything is drawn and B) I am disqualified by the questions. So he said, "What could possibly disqualify you?" Yeah, there's an oversharing opportunity just waiting...

BTW, he fainted (he has the same thing I do, seems like a strong vasovagal response) and was not allowed to donate because they couldn't accomodate him lying down to donate.

[feri-hearted.livejournal.com]

I'm a little clueless why they would ever need to ask that question. I can't remember the questions here because I haven't given blood in years. I don't qualify because I haven't gone 6 months in between tattoo appointments in years. Which is yet another screwed up policy of the Red Cross. It just seems they could ask general risk factor questions without asking invasive questions about who and what we are.

[lobolance.livejournal.com]

They ask the question so they can ask female people if they've been pregnant recently. The other two changes are rather funny (in the non-scientific realm). They ask males if they've paid for sex. They ask females if they've been paid for sex. ;-) They ask males if they've ever had sex with anothe rman; they ask females if they've ever had sex with a male who's ever had sex with another male. Nothing about risky behaviors, just who you had sex with... completely nuts.

[feri-hearted.livejournal.com]

OMFG!!!!!!!!! the AIDS epidemic is what 30 years old almost and medical technology has come a long way. And honestly new diagnoses come more from people whose partners were not honest then from people engaging in risky behaviors. And a general have you been pregnant recently would suffice. It smacks of all different kinds of sexism to me. It would be easier to put a sign on the door and say only people who have had straight sex their entire lives and have been monogamous long term and know 100% that their partner has also been monogamous long term need apply.

[lobolance.livejournal.com]

yep. you got it. obnoxious as hell. I was pleased to find the on site supervisor felt the same way, not that that made any difference. idjits.

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

Did I not somehow get around to adding you to my F-list?... OK, rectified... :)

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

With regard to this comment, see icon. :p

I honestly can't in my mind find a way to link A (what sex anyone had at birth) to B (their proclivity for AIDS, or even any promiscuity or whatever in their lives.)

DOES NOT COMPUTE.