Organ Donation and Homosexuals

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey everyone. I had a pt come into the ER in full cardiac arrest. Didn't make it. 56 yr old really sad. He had a life partner who was extremely distraught and actually signed in to get medication to calm down. Anyway, he specifically told us about his partner being an organ donor. Even the coroner who came and ruled this a cardiac death mentioned to make sure about organ donation.

I call kidney one go through all their ?s and what happened. Then I progress to the next level and another rep calls me back go through EVERYTHING all over. Finally I mentioned something about the pt's life partner and slap instantly this pt's rejected due to "high risk behavior."

Now from my understanding the thing probably of concern is transmitting aids even with the organs tested if just infected will not show up. I really think this couple was in a monogamous relationship. They had been together for over 5 years. The guy was probably much healthier and less riskier than some other organs donated. I can see that with anal sex you can cause tearing more and transmit aids and that is probably the high risk the criteria is for but is ther percentage that great to reject organs for donation? I heard people with tatoos are rejected for blood (I don't know about organ donation). Still even with this in mind I was still quite surprised. Especially it deemed "high risk behavior." Because that is not necesarilly so. I would think risky behavior is multiple sex partners and yes that is but that's with all groups.

I mentioned this to my friend and instantly she states it's like this because aids is "astronomical" in homosexual populations. Is that really so? I know she is against homosexuality very much and absolutely know that is in her mind as well but with anal sex there is more tearing and potential but does anybody know actual numbers from an acredited sorce? I know in the 80s aids was really pushed out there because it was found in the homosexual poplulation. I suppose I can look on a main aids site or gov type thing. I'm comming accross just random pages with no substance to back it.

Is this risk really that relavant? And should it be deemed "high risk." And one article I read type cast homosexuals in general so what about lesbians? I know donations have to be screened excessively but is this too much?

--broke my huge paragraph up hope it helps to read it!!

Specializes in OR.

I was able to donate blood recently, and I have 4 tattoos-they knew about them, and told me that it's only a problem if you've gotten one in the past year. One of the fastest growing groups for HIV infection are heterosexual women. I find it sad that many qualified people are turned away from giving blood-they test everyone's blood before they use it so where's the problem?

they test everyone's blood before they use it so where's the problem?

The problem lies in the fact that no test is ever 100% foolproof, so the national standard for donor blood collection involves a combination of blood testing and donor interview to screen for high-risk practices. I'm sure that the same premise underlies some of the guidelines for organ donation.

I 100% agree with you...this is what is stupid about these policies and the Red Cross.

Nobody asks if you have ever been a prostitute.

Nobody asks if a person is sexually promiscuous.

Yet, AIDS is still treated as a gay disease.

My understanding is that MSMs are not permitted to donate blood or marrow. Thus (given that you can test blood/marrow more comprehensively than organs - time is not as great an issue), I can see where the ban on donating organs is consistant.

Due to my medical history and transfusion history, I am not permitted to donate organs or blood, so you really can't chalk it up prejudice.

It seems like something to quibble over...each person's presumed risky behavior. But take into account the lawsuits over passing on contaminated tissue, and you can see the concern.

As far as nurses coming in contact with everything, we also have access to PPE. We also presumably(?) take greater care with our hygiene, than the public.

There is no one completely free of risks. But as someone that got transfused with blood, known later to be contaminated, I will never be permitted to donate anything....though I have always tested negative. And I can understand the concern.

Also think of this. Patients that have been treated for cancer (chemo/rad) are frequently not permitted to donate blood/most transplant organs. This despite that research has not seen any link with recipients having a higher risk of cancer and that the organs were not permanently affected by chemo.

I actually understand why they won't allow cancer patients to donate...because ultimately, no one knows what causes cancer.

Monogamous relationship? Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate during a period of time. So, two people in a monogamous relationship that practice [lack of a better word] anal sex certainly provide a shadow of doubt.

I disagree with you....both men and women engage in anal sex and because of the TYPE of sexual activity someone engages in, is not correlated, in any way, of how many sexual partners they have.

There are people that have been married for 50 years and their spouse has cheated on them the entire time...but it's ASSUMED that they are in a monogamous relationship.

That is what is wrong with the organ donation program..too many assumptions.

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And I find this to be very sad. There are so many people who could benefit by organ donation. If the person was deemed not to be infected with HIV or Hep, I feel that they should be eligible for donation. But in a case like this in which this man died suddenly, I guess there isn't time to verify that these tests have been done.

But they assume that everyone else doesn't engage in high-risk behavior, or that women are incapable of it. Anyone and everyone could possibly be infected with HIV (even children who may receive it at birth)..I just think it's sad that "they" still treat HIV as a gay disease, because it isn't. More heterosexuals are getting HIV than homosexuals.

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I disagree with you....both men and women engage in anal sex and because of the TYPE of sexual activity someone engages in, is not correlated, in any way, of how many sexual partners they have.

There are people that have been married for 50 years and their spouse has cheated on them the entire time...but it's ASSUMED that they are in a monogamous relationship.

That is what is wrong with the organ donation program..too many assumptions.

Okay... but, I do agree with you.

CG: We know not their (homosexuals') sexual practices, definately. Who can say for sure that hetero's don't engage in MUCH riskier behaviors??? Let's don't go there please.

And the point about health care workers then being extremely high risk, and therefore potentially ineligible is well-taken by me.

Very well said! The gay/straight thing really doesn't mean a whole lot these days because there are a lot of people out there, representing all points on the Kinsey scale who're doing all sorts of things that are high-risk---drugs, unprotected sex...you name it. Yet the majority of these people are presumed 'ok' as long as they are not male homosexuals??? What an unfortunate assumption! Even the CDC is now recommending that everyone be tested for HIV as a part of their routine medical assessment.

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmilingBluEyes

CG: We know not their (homosexuals') sexual practices, definately. Who can say for sure that hetero's don't engage in MUCH riskier behaviors??? Let's don't go there please.

And the point about health care workers then being extremely high risk, and therefore potentially ineligible is well-taken by me.

Very well said! The gay/straight thing really doesn't mean a whole lot these days because there are a lot of people out there, representing all points on the Kinsey scale who're doing all sorts of things that are high-risk---drugs, unprotected sex...you name it. Yet the majority of these people are presumed 'ok' as long as they are not male homosexuals??? What an unfortunate assumption! Even the CDC is now recommending that everyone be tested for HIV as a part of their routine medical assessment.

NurseguyFL - I NEVER POSTED IT TO BE A MALE HOMOSEXUAL ISSUE! I assure you I was misquoted/misunderstood.

Please, see my previous post #37

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

There was an episode on ER once, I believe it related to a liver transplant. An AIDS patient died and had an HIV+ friend who needed a liver. I believe it was Carter who okayed the transplant. It was a very thought provoking show.

Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.
Monogamous relationship? Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate during a period of time. So, two people in a monogamous relationship that practice [lack of a better word] anal sex certainly provide a shadow of doubt.

What???:confused:

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