If you spent more than a year in the UK between 1980 and 96, or something like that, you may be carrying madcow!
Presumably, if I’d spent 364 days eating steak tartare, that’s ok.
Ìt’s rubbish and dare I say it, a little ‘racist’.
As the French spent much of this time in denial over this disease, presumably it would have been more ‘catchable’ in France.
I would like to start a campaign and highlight the desire of the British to give blood in France
Can anyone help me, can we get this ruling deleted!
Best regards
Alex Lloyd
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I’m a bit baffled by this.
Presumably the reason people want to give blood is so you they feel good about it.
So the French should accept blood that they aren’t happy about accepting, just to make Brits feel good?
I can’t give blood because I had jaundice in the past. Fair enough, I accept that my blood is good enough for me but it is not top quality blood. If I were to need a blood transfusion I would prefer to receive only top quality blood, and since I’m not a scientist myself I leave it to the scientists to screen the blood they accept into blood banks. Better they reject blood that is actually OK, than they accept blood that has the slightest chance of being dodgy.
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Nothing dodgy about my blood.; I would like to see the French authorities review this situation!
I find your attitude incredibly arrogant, I don’t know what your qualifications are, but how do you know what is top quality blood or why people would like to contribute by giving blood?
When one fills in the questionnaire, there are over fifty yes/no questions about one’s personal habits; have you had many sexual partners, unprotected sex, if male are you a homosexual, do you inject drugs etc etc?
One could be untruthful in responding to all of these, but one cannot deny British residency during '80 to '96, but you think that guarantees ‘top quality’ blood!
If I can give blood in Britain, I should be able to in France, after all we are all in Europe.
You have jaundice, a shame for you, presumably you have to find another way to ‘feel good’.
Sorry
Don’t hold your breath.
It’s not going to happen any time soon!
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There’s no need to respond in such an agressive manner.
Please think before you post again. This is a friendly, helpful and polite network and we fully intend to keep it that way.
Thanks.
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I think it’s more nuanced than that. There is a shortage of blood, and so I feel that perhaps it is a sensible question to review the criteria for being able to donate. And to consider what can be donated and for what purposes.
Currently there is a lot of debate as to whether CJD is readily transmitted in blood products, as some of the hysteria has been shown to be unfounded. Same with the risk of HIV transmission now that antibody testing is routine. Also there is CJD in the French population, apparently about 100+ cases a year. So those people can unknowingly have been giving blood for many, many years.
Yes I want top quality blood, but I also want authorities to assess the risks scientifically and periodically and come to a balanced view of risk v benefit. Even with current strict guidelines there are cases of people getting hepatitis from donated blood. So a blanket ban these days is perhaps something that should be looked at again. Donated blood also gets used in different ways - whole blood, plasma, factor 8, etc so perhaps some uses would be better than others.
I think it is a sensible question to ask. But since I can’t give blood in any country because of chemotherapy drug use then not something I’m particularly bothered about. I follow the approach of random acts of kindness to feel good about myself.
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Sorry is it me, I didn’t mean to sound aggressive, I just felt an undercurrent of an attitude that was rather presumptuous!
My apologies
alex
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Also, maybe I’m just a little frustrated about the number of things I cannot do in France; I won’t bother supplying a list. Also irony and humour can be terribly ambiguous in texts;
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when in Rome, Alexander, when in Rome…!
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I know
With respect, protecting people against possible disease isn’t ‘total rubbish’ or ‘racist’, get some cajones man !
I’m sure you’d be the first to complain if you or your loved ones were given infected blood !!
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In the 80s I applied to give blood in France. I had never given blood and was 35 years of age. The Blood people said I couldn’t give blood in France because I had been living in the UK a few years previously (CJD etc) and I was told I needed to wait 15 years before being allowed to give blood in France.
Fifteen years passed and I was 50 years of age, I re applied to give blood only to be told I was, at 50 too old to give blood for the first time !!!
Sometimes you just can’t win but hey, rules are rules !
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Ok it’s not total rubbish, just a bit misplaced, I feel, by the way they didn’t say I was too old, perhaps they’ve relaxed that one!
s’ppose so, but as I said, there are so many other variables that a blanket ban on being British seems somewhat beside the point?
Alexander Lloyd,
Thank you Jane, I think you are absolutely on the ball; great to hear a measured response and I hope they will look at the blanket ban.
Alex
also, not sure what cajones are, but I’ll try and keep up with them!
Re cajones/cuilles “not sure what cajones are, but I’ll try and keep up with them!”
I think you’ll find that they determine their own height or level, without your intervention or giving them a second thought, Alexander. Keep 'em cool is what I do. 
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My nephew is a cancer survivor - since he was 9 years old ( and given 6 months to live). He has successfully overcome that awful disease and is a 40+ father of 2.
However, many years ago, in UK he was given blood, later found to have been contaminated, and he is now living with the consequences. 
I have no argument with France wanting to “play safe”. 
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You only need to do some superficial research to find out about the contaminated blood scandal and it’s effects on haemophiliacs in particular
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