Date: Wed, 6 Dec 95 13:10:56 EST From: "EAT, Pappa, EAT! 06-Dec-1995 1308" My name is Glen Silva, and I have some concerns with how blood is taken. The policy the FDA has set aside for heterosexual women is if they have had multiple partners (men) within the last year, they will not accept their blood. If a man has had sex with just ONE man since 1977, then they do not want your blood. This makes no sense to me at all. If 2 uninfected people are in a monogamous relationship, then no one is going to contract the disease, or give it to anyone. It does not matter if the two people are heterosexual, or homosexual. The end result of the guidelines the Red Cross follows is that people are starting to think, and say that even monogamy will not stop HIV/AIDS within the gay community (read on the internet, and heard people say it). While this is false, this is what is being spread. And with the Red Cross policy, it's no wonder that people are thinking this way. With the Red Cross looking back just 1 year for heterosexuals, but 18, soon to be 19 years for homosexuals, people are also saying that AIDS among homosexuals is far worse than it is for heterosexuals. This is WRONG, and it is not something that should be spread. But how can you fight something like that when the Red Cross has this policy? I called the Red Cross, who told me that the FDA sets the policy for them. Even the person I spoke with thought it was a policy that should not be in place, as it does not reflect reality. She said the FDA would have to make the change, and that the CDC would probably have to get involved. I have sent a letter to both places, but have heard nothing back from either. Hysteria around AIDS is often hard to control, period. But when you have the US government adding to the hysteria, when you have 2 agencies giving 2 different views of the disease (CDC said AIDS is the same for all, FDA has 2 policies for giving blood, with both policies dealing with AIDS). PWA's have a hard enough time without adding more stress to their lives. Is it possible to form a group to look into this and try and find an answer? Thanks in advance, Glen Silva 114 Union Park Street #3 Boston, MA 02118 silva@bigq.enet.dec.com