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 home health, neuro, palliative care.
Safe then to include the above partners do not practice anal sex... just to clarify?

Whether they have anal sex which each other or not, they can't give each other a virus neither of them brought into the relationship.

~Mel'

I am getting that corvette guy is saying that anal sex presents it's own problems even in a monogams relationship, could that be right corvette guy?

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
I am getting that corvette guy is saying that anal sex presents it's own problems even in a monogams relationship, could that be right corvette guy?

It has to go beyond that, though, to include the fact that virii are so easily spread due by this particular activity. It isn't that the behavior causes the virus, it just makes it easier to spread.

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
What???:confused:

... regards to both homosexual & heterosexual monogomous relationships which practice unsafe sex. I was NOT intending to be negatively bias towards homosexuals in the least bit.

Still confused, LOL?

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
I am getting that Corvette Guy is saying that anal sex presents it's own problems even in a monogamous relationship, could that be right Corvette Guy?

YES Rambisisking, you got it!

:bowingpur ... thank you for understanding!

Two things I hate, is being misunderstood & ignored.

Hey, every now and then I get something right.

Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Hey, every now and then I get something right.

LOL, I know how you feel since every now & then someone comes along that reads my post as I intended. ;)

Most donation centers protect against peer pressure by having you fill out a confidential statement to 'use or don't use' your donation.

You STILL get credit, and the supply is protected against peer pressure donations.

~faith,

Timothy.

That is really a great idea.

I believe that they need to rewrite all the rules for any type of donation. i regularly dontate plasma. I believe it helps may others and the quick $30.00 in nice when you are broke. I was asked if I ever even once engaged in sexual acts of any kinds with anyone who had a blood transfusion prior to 1980. I asnwered truthfully to the best of my knowledge no I have not but that my mother had a trasfusion when she was pregnate with my brother in 1976 and that I was born in 1979. They said that in not the question asked so that is okay. So I was like you mean having sex once with some one in that catagory would disqualify me but possible being infected with something unknown in utero from my mother doesnt. i would think that was a higher risk than having sex once with someone. They just repeated that is not the question so you are ok.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Again, my apologies for any misunderstanding. I was referring to a monogomous couple [no matter their sexual orientation] that practices anal sex. I was trying to make the point the word monogomous, alone, is not a qualifier of safety. BTW, a previous post by another member actually made a similar statement. Anyway, I don't know how more clearly I can be? I never mentioned anything about HIV testing. Yet, I do agree with what you are saying, too.

Originally Posted by Corvette Guy

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.

:monkeydance:

Perhaps monogamy isn't 100% foolproof as a qualifier. One must take other things into consideration. It's disappointing that because I've had sex with a man I'm automatically disqualified, when I'm negative, healthy and have had sex with one person the last 14 years who is the same satus as myself.

I'm still not getting the statement: So, two people in a monogamous relationship that practice [lack of a better word] anal sex certainly provide a shadow of doubt. How is this particular practice different more risky in a monogamous relationship than oral or lady partsl sex?

It has to go beyond that, though, to include the fact that virii are so easily spread due by this particular activity. It isn't that the behavior causes the virus, it just makes it easier to spread.

Well, that would depend on what you define as "easier" to spread. I don't want to be too graphic, but we are all adults here...

HIV is an example of (how shall I put this?) where it is better to give than to receive...if you follow me.

I knew of a gay male couple that, didn't "switch" so to speak. After two years together, the one that was predominantly a "receiver" found out he was HIV positive through a blood donation...his faithful partner waited nervously through his own test results...to find out he was NEGATIVE..nothing short of a miracle after 2 years.

It's been 15 years and they are still together....they do not engage in sex, they tell others they have other arrangements, and everyone in their social circle is respectful enough not to ask.

They truly love each other...I don't know of very many straight couples that would stay with each other through something like that.

I believe that they need to rewrite all the rules for any type of donation. i regularly dontate plasma. I believe it helps may others and the quick $30.00 in nice when you are broke. I was asked if I ever even once engaged in sexual acts of any kinds with anyone who had a blood transfusion prior to 1980. I asnwered truthfully to the best of my knowledge no I have not but that my mother had a trasfusion when she was pregnate with my brother in 1976 and that I was born in 1979. They said that in not the question asked so that is okay. So I was like you mean having sex once with some one in that catagory would disqualify me but possible being infected with something unknown in utero from my mother doesnt. i would think that was a higher risk than having sex once with someone. They just repeated that is not the question so you are ok.

Yeah, they definately need to rewrite the rules on that one. It was ok before they had a test for HIV, but they have one now that is pretty darn accurate and if you had sex with someone in 1978 that had a blood transfusing, drug user, whatever! To even assume that TODAY the blood is unsafe is silly...their tests would pick anything up.

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