dJay,

You say you started giving blood through the Red Cross at 16. To my recollection, the minimum age has always been 18 because that is the age of majority (consent). Minors cannot consent to anything and therefore, cannot agree to donate blood, so I'm wondering if by chance you have your ages/dates off somewhat.

I am not sure where you received your information that gay men are not the number one carriers of HIV/AIDS, but your information is wrong. According to AVERT.ORG, an International organization that tracks HIV/AIDS stats and publishes information on the disease (http://www.avert.org/aidsyounggaymen.htm), HIV/AIDS affects young gay men in the US/UK and other Euro nations at a higher rate than any other affected group.

While you may practice safe sex, there is no way of knowing if any of the other gay men you have encountered did. Furthermore, since you already admitted that you submitted early questionaires with fales information because you figured it didn't matter, how many other gay men do you think have done the same thing because they figured they either weren't at risk?

In the US, the estimate of people who are infected and do not know they are is roughly 50%. (http://www.aidsprojectri.org/hiv101.htm#4) and since newly reported cases are 40,000 per year, that's a risk the Red Cross has opted not to take.

So again, I applaud you that you are a responsible gay man, but many others aren't and the risk factors for your demographic are high enough that they warranted the Red Cross to create this stipultaion.

I apologize that you cannot be the contributing member of society because of your status, but plesae understand that it is merely precautionary and is not a personal judgement on you.