Giving Blood

Blimey, you sound like a nasty bit of work.

And why the need to list your job / position etc ?

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Yes, I was about to say exactly that! Chat échaudé craint l’eau froide, better safe than sorry.

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That’s a logical fallacy. cf I have a driving licence, so I can drive both in the UK and in France, however, does my British licence mean I can drive on the left in France? Does my French licence mean I can drive on the right in the UK?
Obviously not, even within Europe there are regional particularities to be respected.

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Eek.
I specifically said that I have no medical qualifications and that’s why I leave these decisions to the people that do.
Thank you for your concern but I don’t have jaundice. I did in the past, as I said; when I was a teenager to be precise and that was a long time ago now.
The fact that “we are all in Europe” doesn’t mean that each country can’t set its own national policies on many issues, including this one. If more people in the UK had understood that the EU does not dictate every full stop and comma to member states and doesn’t try to make them be clones of each other and lose their national identity, we might not be in the mess we’re in.
But I am sorry I offended you. I guess I don’t understand where you were coming from because I don’t tend to think about doing things like that to feel good, mea culpa, but clearly being public spirited means a lot to you, and I hope you find an outlet for that public spiritedness.

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Without wishing to pour oil on flames, wasn‘t the contaminated blood scandal hep C and AIDs due to poor processing of the blood bought from American prisoners and drug addicts? Ok it was in horrific numbers, but there are still cases today despite the more stringent controls. It sort of leads me to think that getting donated blood freely from people who are in good health could be a lower risk strategy than running out of blood and having to buy it?

(I certainly wouldn’t want any country to have to rely on Trump’s America to provide good quality)

Yes, sorry Anna, maybe I was a bit ‘ranty’ and also felt that you were presuming that I was desperate to ‘do good’. Actually, there were medical reasons, but I do get frustrated at such arbitrary blanket bans. I just hope that the medical authorities review these bans regularly.

The rules have not changed for us Brits in that any blood you donate can be used for research etc but not for medical use such as transfusions.

I had Malaria as a child and was told could not donate blood because of it. But now it has been decreed that the amoeba wash out eventually so maybe this goes for whatever causes Jaundice etc.

I had malaria and it used to bother them but no longer does.

Jaundice is a symptom , of several conditions,rather than a condition in itself. It will depend on the initial illness if you can give blood or not,ie a blood condition may mean you can’t donate,an infection such as hepatitis would be a no no ,but a gall stone blocking the common bile duct wouldn’t necessarily mean you couldn’t donate in the future

I’m just glad that it isn’t necessary to be a donor to be a receiver, and I shall always be grateful to the anonymous French donors who helped me out in my time of need.

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That is why I said ‘whatever causes jaundice’ Veronique Langlands. Even newborns get jaundiced.

This was a very interesting conversation at our dinner table last week
My eldest son went to give blood, and was refused as he was born in the U.K. in 1985 and was moved to France in 1989.
No questions on his partner or the fact that he is gay.
Nope he may be carrying Jacobs whatever, mad cow disease :blush:
Obviously I do understand the French Refusing, it would be a disaster if anything got through to a patient already suffering to need blood…
However my second son born in the U.K. in 1987 , left in 1989 gives blood once a year and gets results back from Them. No problems for him?
Unfortunately I cannot give blood also. I would love to do this wonderful thing, however I may be a mad cow carrier, all the signs are there :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::heart_eyes: seriously I have had the advantage of receiving blood cells and am entirely grateful to those that do donate.
Bone marrow cancer requires blood transfusion. So thank you to you all who donate and hahaha thank you to those who don’t :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::joy::heart_eyes:

For anyone who is interested, this links to a questionnaire - to find out whether or not one can donate blood. It is only a guide however.

(Accepted Age group is 18-70.)

Clearly states that an actual decision would be made on the day itself, answering questions/discussing with the professionals at the Reception of wherever the Donation is proposed.

https://dondesang.efs.sante.fr/puis-je-donner

This is the question most relevant to Brits and if you answer yes then it asks you to call the organisation for further information.

https://dondesang.efs.sante.fr/puis-je-donner?quiz=2&question=15

Yes, indeed.

I played around with the questionnaire - changing sex and all sorts… just to see what the other questions/responses were like… :sweat_smile::rofl:

The whole thing is very interesting…

Ignoring the ‘Mad Cow’ issue I wonder whether all EU countries have the same criteria for who they allow to give blood?

Well the UK is pretty similar, same blanket bans on cancer sufferers and HIV carriers, and 4 month waiting period for lots of things.

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In Greece if you need a transfusion then at some point in the future your family members are expected to give blood to repay what you have received.

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I’ve friends in Denmark - so I looked at that country.

First and foremost - the would-be donor must speak and understand Danish!

Foreigners must have lived there for at least a year…

Other than that, the criteria seems to be about the same… :thinking: