We all know the paramount significance blood holds in our existence. It’s the life drive that sustains us, flowing by our veins like a river of vitality. It carries the secrets and techniques of our well being, reflecting our well-being and resilience. However what if this scarlet liquid of life runs in need of provide for us? What in case your very important organs are all in excellent well being however this medium that transports oxygen and different vitamins to them is incapable of doing so? Scary, proper? As per reviews, practically twelve thousand folks die each day in India as a result of a scarcity of blood. One other report exhibits that India collects round 11 million items of blood per yr and desires round 15 million. To place it merely, the blood demand in our nation outstrips provide by over 400 per cent.

However what if I say you possibly can contribute to saving lives and help in bringing this quantity down by a easy but one of many noblest deeds of blood donation? However, earlier than you proceed, wait, what’s your sexual orientation and gender? Questioning what that has to do with blood donation? This text will clarify. 

By this text, we intention to enlighten folks on the significance of blood donation and its well being advantages for donors. We may even focus on the worldwide views on LGBTQ+ blood donation and tips in several international locations relating to LGBTQ+ blood donation in view of Indian insurance policies. 

World Blood Donors Day: A Temporary Historical past 

The primary World Blood Donor Day was noticed in 2004, which was adopted by its designation as an annual international occasion by the fifty-eighth World Well being Meeting in 2005. The day is now yearly celebrated all through the world on 14 June to boost consciousness about blood donation and recognise the contribution of voluntary blood donors in saving lives.

Questioning what significance the date holds? June 14 is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian biologist and doctor thought to be the founder of recent blood transfusion. Landsteiner developed the fashionable system of classification of blood teams and recognized the Rhesus issue, which allows physicians to transfuse blood with out endangering a affected person’s life.

Significance Of Blood Donation 

Blood donation holds immense significance for a number of causes:

1. Saving Lives

Apart from being simply noble, donated blood is employed for use in medical procedures, surgical procedures, and coverings for sufferers affected by varied situations comparable to accidents, most cancers, blood problems, problems throughout childbirth and anaemia. Accidents and pure disasters also can trigger important blood loss within the survivors and create an pressing want for blood transfusions. By donating blood, people can instantly contribute to saving another person’s life.

2. Assembly Medical Demand

Blood transfusions are carried out every day in hospitals and medical services to handle emergencies and supply important therapies. This implies there’s a fixed want for blood in healthcare programs. Common blood donations assist preserve a adequate and available blood provide to satisfy these medical calls for.

3. Supporting Medical Procedures

Many medical procedures, comparable to organ transplants, surgical procedures, and chemotherapy, require blood transfusions to exchange blood loss and help the restoration course of. Blood donation performs a significant position in enabling these procedures and bettering the probabilities of profitable outcomes for sufferers. Moreover, sufferers with continual situations, comparable to thalassemia and sickle cell illness, typically require lifelong blood transfusions to handle their situations. Common blood donations are essential to supply them with the required blood elements and improve their high quality of life.

4. Advancing Medical Analysis

Donated blood can also be important for medical analysis and developments. It allows scientists and researchers to review blood-related illnesses, develop new therapies, and enhance healthcare practices.

5. Group Assist and Unity

Blood donations foster a way of neighborhood help and unity. It brings folks collectively from various backgrounds and encourages compassion and solidarity. By donating blood, people actively contribute to the well-being of their communities and make a constructive affect on society.

Well being Advantages Of Donating Blood 

Donating blood not solely advantages these in want but in addition provides a number of well being advantages for the donors themselves. Listed below are among the potential well being advantages of donating blood:

1. Lowered Iron Overload

Extra iron within the physique can result in a situation referred to as hemochromatosis, which may trigger organ harm. Common blood donation helps stop iron overload and reduces the chance of growing hemochromatosis.

2. Cardiovascular Well being

Common blood donation helps preserve wholesome iron ranges within the physique. Extreme iron buildup can improve the chance of coronary heart illness. By donating blood, people can scale back their iron shops and probably decrease the chance of cardiovascular points.

3. Lowered Most cancers Threat

Excessive iron ranges within the physique have been related to an elevated danger of most cancers. Blood donation helps scale back iron shops, which can decrease the chance of growing sure varieties of cancers, comparable to liver, lung, and colorectal most cancers.

4. Improved Blood Move

Blood donation stimulates the manufacturing of latest blood cells. This course of helps preserve the viscosity of blood, stopping it from changing into too thick and bettering blood circulate. Correct blood circulate is important for total cardiovascular well being.

5. Enhanced Purple Blood Cell Manufacturing

After donating blood, the physique replenishes the misplaced blood by producing new purple blood cells. This course of stimulates the bone marrow, selling the manufacturing of recent, wholesome purple blood cells. It could assist preserve the optimum functioning of the circulatory system.

6. Well being Test-Up

Earlier than donating blood, donors bear a radical screening course of, together with exams for blood stress, haemoglobin ranges, infectious illnesses, and different well being indicators. This well being check-up offers a possibility to determine potential well being points or abnormalities that require medical consideration.

7. Improved Emotional Effectively-being

Donating blood is a selfless act that contributes to the well-being of others. The act of giving can evoke constructive feelings, a way of goal, and fulfilment, which may positively affect psychological and emotional well-being.

Blood Donation: For All. By All? 

Traditionally talking, some sections of society have been barred from donating blood primarily based on their sexual orientation and gender. The supporters advocate that this ban is predicated on the chance of excessive an infection precipitated throughout blood transfusions. To place it merely, transgenders, males participating in identical intercourse intercourse and feminine intercourse staff are the three most outstanding teams that had been banned from donating blood throughout the globe. The ban on homosexual and transgender folks donating blood was launched within the Eighties when info on detecting and transmitting HIV/AIDS was much less superior. At the moment, folks weren’t totally conscious of the modes of transmission of the virus, and there was no dependable take a look at to detect HIV in blood donations. The concern of HIV transmission led to the exclusion of homosexual and transgender folks from donating blood in lots of international locations.  

Nevertheless, varied international locations have now revised their insurance policies to be extra inclusive and up to date the screening course of that’s comparable for all regardless of their sexuality. Let’s check out just a few examples: 

America 

In January the US authorities introduced its plans to revise the long-standing blood donation coverage. Underneath the rules, homosexual and bisexual males in monogamous relationships can be allowed to donate blood. With the up to date tips, most homosexual and bisexual males who’re in a monogamous relationship with a person will not have to attend greater than three months post-sex to donate blood.

Canada 

As per the brand new guidelines, donors shall be requested if they’ve had new or a number of sexual companions within the earlier months, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Those that say sure shall be requested if they’ve engaged in ‘higher-risk’ intercourse. If they’ve, they might want to wait three months earlier than donating blood.

United Kingdom

The nation’s well being company introduced that wholesome folks of any gender or sexual orientation who’ve had the identical sexual accomplice for at the least three months are eligible for blood donation.

Israel 

The brand new guidelines state that each one blood donors regardless of their sexual orientation should wait three months ‘after high-risk intercourse with a brand new accomplice or a number of companions’.

France 

France in 2022 ended its ban on homosexual males giving blood and acknowledged that homosexual males would have the ability to donate blood beneath the identical situations as heterosexuals, with none reference to sexual orientation or interval of sexual abstinence.

The coverage revisions mirror progress in human rights, as they promote equality and non-discrimination. They problem the stigmatisation and stereotyping of LGBTQ people and acknowledge that sexual orientation alone shouldn’t decide eligibility for blood donation.

However what about India? The place can we stand on the worldwide platform with regards to blood donation standards? Let’s dig deep. 

Blood Donation In India

India has had a blanket ban on blood donation by transgenders, males participating in same-sex intercourse and feminine intercourse staff for many years. The argument that these classes are at the next danger of HIV AIDS, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C infections are shielded by clauses 12 and 51 of Guideline on Blood Donor Choice and Blood Donor Referral, 2017. 

Nevertheless, the constitutional validity of tips limiting explicit teams was challenged by transgender activist Santa Khurai within the Supreme Court docket. She and her supporters imagine that “completely prohibiting transgenders, males having intercourse with males and feminine intercourse staff from donating blood solely on the premise of their gender id and sexual orientation is bigoted, unreasonable and discriminatory”. They’re of the opinion that if anybody needs to donate blood, the federal government ought to present services and tips to display screen the blood earlier than taking it. “The federal government can’t goal a gaggle or particular person primarily based on their sexuality or occupation”, says Khurai.  

The federal government contends that the rules are primarily based on “scientific proof”. Citing eight nationwide and worldwide research and an annual report from 2020-21 of the Division of Well being and Household Welfare, the federal government defended its stand that “the HIV prevalence amongst transgenders, males who’ve intercourse with males and feminine intercourse staff is 6 to 13 occasions larger than grownup HIV prevalence”. 

With these rebuttals, just a few questions stay unanswered. Let me stroll you thru them!

1. What about transgenders who will not be intercourse staff? This will apply to each transmen and transwomen. 
2. What about cis-heterosexual males who’re married however have intercourse on the aspect with different males and should not report such behaviour whereas counselling? 
3. What about cis-heterosexual males who’ve ‘high-risk intercourse’ with intercourse staff? 

The Street Forward  

Can India acquire some perception from international locations which have adopted evidence-based danger evaluation fashions as an alternative of blanket restrictions primarily based on sexual orientation? Implementing scientifically knowledgeable standards can guarantee a protected blood provide whereas together with LGBTQ people who’re low-risk. Utilizing its potential to interact with LGBTQ organisations and communities might be essential for understanding their views, considerations, and experiences.

India as a rustic might make collaborative efforts that will result in extra inclusive insurance policies and higher neighborhood belief. Continuous monitoring and analysis of coverage adjustments are important to evaluate their effectiveness, handle any unintended penalties, and make essential changes. Common information assortment and evaluation can inform evidence-based decision-making and enhance the inclusivity of blood donation insurance policies.

Blood is the essence of compassion, because it has the ability to convey life and hope to these in want. It connects us all, intertwining our destinies and reminding us of our shared humanity. With this thought in our minds and the extent of medical developments, we ask you, readers, what do you stand for? In a world that’s already divided amongst so many teams and strata with thriving marginalisation, what’s your tackle the present insurance policies in our nation on blood donation? Bear in mind, a single pint can save three lives, and a single gesture can create one million smiles.