Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Skydiver]

way back when, when AIDS was the 'gay disease', yeah, the risk factors were greater because they were the main ones transmitting it.

however it has now fully spread to the heterosexual population and ANYONE that has ANY unprotected sex is at risk for it. Honestly, if anything, the awareness among gay men is likely higher than it is for the housewife from new jersey that didn't know her husband had an affair and thus is infected thus it's the unaware heterosexual population that is at greater risk for spreading it than a safety conscious male population

a monogamous gay couple, who don't sleep around and who are both clean and tested clean are - disease wise - 'better' donors than the heterosexual male or female that has a handful of unprotected sexual encounters a year.

And, besides all that, the blood is tested and screened and tested again, and if it flunks a test, it's tossed out.

[Celandine]

It is because man are considered to be less faithful and therefore the number of sexual contacts is higher, so diseases spread faster. And that's why it's discrimination. We can't presume that every is men unfaithful, IMO.

What?!

Spoiler:

No harm intended, but what statistics are you looking at? Or are you looking at gay men in terms of a subculture and stating a stereotype..or what? I'm a bit confused here. I have a couple gay male friends who are in relationships and they've been in them for going on a year and a half now. Heck, I'm gay and I don't sleep around with anyone other than my gf.

Besides, I do think homosexuals take even more precautions to prevent disease than most. *shrug*

I'm of the believe that, as Eve states, information is out of date.

[resurgamlaura]

What?!

Spoiler:

No harm intended, but what statistics are you looking at? Or are you looking at gay men in terms of a subculture and stating a stereotype..or what? I'm a bit confused here. I have a couple gay male friends who are in relationships and they've been in them for going on a year and a half now. Heck, I'm gay and I don't sleep around with anyone other than my gf.

Besides, I do think homosexuals take even more precautions to prevent disease than most. *shrug*

I'm of the believe that, as Eve states, information is out of date.

I think Kusanagi is stating the stereotype (which unfortunately still exists, because I've come across it many a time - I've tried explaining that some men just behave like that, regardless of sexuality, and that OMG, women do it as well, but no pursuading them) that's around, and that they think this presumption is an act of discrimination. So I think you're actually both on the same wavelength.

[Celandine]

Spoiler:

Being a woman, I did mainly concern myself with facts related to lesbianism. My partner and I do take care, have regular doctor visits, etc... My male friends I shared about earlier I'm sure do the same. Frankly, I haven't ever asked them as for me it's a personal thing and one boundary I never wanted to cross in our friendship. Hence, my needing to fall back on statistics. Old ones at that.

In light of the fact that health organizations still have yet to update what statistically is not true anymore, I do wonder if the media, religion...whatever, will win out over science in this case. Sad if it does.

[NZNeep]

Yep, in NZ we are trying to get the old rules about men who have had sex with men changed. The blood is screened anyway, and everyone is at risk of HIV.

The rule in NZ that I think makes a lot of sense is that it's illegal to pay for blood donations. It's voluntary. That way you don't get people desperate enough for money that they lie on the forms. And you can ring them after giving blood and tell them not to use it, they will dump it no questions asked.

I've always been the daring type and trying new things has never been a problem. Outdoorsy stuff of any sort is always fun. I'd like to try bungy jumping on my trip to NZ. I've always wanted to and I've been told it's akin to flying which sounds awesome. Now if I can only convince a certain Kiwi to do it as well.



Wonderful news!

Am I the Kiwi you are talking about? 'cos I've bungy jumped twice

[NZNeep]

Oh, just looked it up! They changed the NZ rules while I wasn't looking. The new rule is that a man can't give blood if they have had unprotected sex with another man in the last 5 years (they have a specific definition of what kinds of sex). With a condom and it's all good.

[EH-T]

I have two quotes that I use fairly frequently. The first is "Mine! Mine!" (Name that film) And the second is "Play?!!"

I want to see Up. I missed it in the cinema, so I'll have to wait for it to appear on Sky.

Mumsey

I saw Up on the plane home from AT4.

My current quote, of course, is "that's quite enough of that". Can't tell you how many people love/want that button!

I'm A-. I donate 5 or 6 times a year. They'd been emailing me the last couple weeks, so when there was a blood drive across the street from work on Tuesday, me and a friend headed over. We were both turned away. He wasn't eligible to give until Wednesday and I wasn't eligible to give until Thursday. Seriously? Do you think taking it two days early is going to cause me to pass out? But apparently it's an FDA regulation.

I'm also on the National Marrow Registry. I've been tested through the second level of tests (I think there's four). If I match at level two with someone, they're run the level three test and put those results on file.

I'm an organ donor too. Though not sure if any of mine will be worth using when I'm done with them.

I've signed my organ donor card too. Unfortunately Canadians have a very low donation rate. I think it is so important to be a donor if possible. I just saw a bumper sticker today that said "live generously" and I loved that. What could be better than if your last act on earth was to help others by organ donation?

yeah, that day restriction gets me.

basically, for a healthy human, we can replace the blood cells lost within a week, so how come we can't donate every month or so? for us it's 60 days, 120 if you use the machine that pulls the double cells out (pulls out the red blood cells, leaves the plasma, usually only men and larger women qualify for that since it has higher weight and height restrictions, i'm too short)

I do understand the need to protect the blood supply and to insure that donors don't overdonate or harm themselves, but sometimes the restrictions seem to run counter intuitive to 'we're always short of blood'

ok, loosen things up a bit and you'll have more donors, surely there's a compromise in there somewhere

Interesting. We can donate every 56 days.

[Mandysg1]

I've signed my organ donor card too. Unfortunately Canadians have a very low donation rate. I think it is so important to be a donor if possible. I just saw a bumper sticker today that said "live generously" and I loved that. What could be better than if your last act on earth was to help others by organ donation?

This is unfortunately true, I lost a friend who was waiting for a heart transplant
I however can't donate blood and my organs wouldn't be usable (due to chronic illness)

[NZNeep]

We can give 4 times a year, as long as they are 12 weeks apart. Just made an appointment for Tuesday

[Celandine]

Just cos it's fun and it's gotten way too serious in here for me.




If your ever in need of a research paper, look no farther. My friend sent me this link and I thought it hilarious. It's a computer program created as a joke that produces full length research papers complete with correct jargon and whatnot. It works too. I tried it.

http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/scigen/

Makes me wonder what a cool practical joke it might be for Sam to switch out Daniel's notes for these...of course not in a formal setting where he'd need to present them. Maybe right before as she hangs around the corner of his office watching him sweat it out first.

[EvenstarSRV]

I have two quotes that I use fairly frequently. The first is "Mine! Mine!" (Name that film) And the second is "Play?!!"

I want to see Up. I missed it in the cinema, so I'll have to wait for it to appear on Sky.

Hee, I've used the Finding Nemo one as well.

For a while my sister and I quoted a lot of LOTR, esp 'Merry' 'What?' 'I'm hungry!'

and then Sam's reaction, which was like "yeah, it *is* cool.

Yeah, that's what I liked best about that scene. She's at the brink of death, trying one more last ditch effort to save herself and the rest of the crew, and there's still a part of Sam that gets excited by the science of her plan. It makes me feel that even during all those times when Sam was serious and focused on solving some scientific problem with the fate of the world at stake, in a corner of her mind she was also thinking 'this is so cool!'

Hmm, I had to google the American Red Cross restrictions guide as I was sure it was a total time spent there. I mean, after AT3 I gave blood and had to check the box that I was in England, but when they asked how long, they just passed it off. I assumed it wasn't long enough as it was only a short trip and assumed they were focusing only on those who actually lived in the country for a period of time. Understandable given the differing diseases.

http://www.adamscountyredcross.com/d...uirements.aspx

Possible indefinite deferral for donors who have lived in or visited the United Kingdom or Europe for a total time of 3-6 months since January 1, 1980, depending on exactly where the donor traveled and how long he or she was there.

I believe you're right, the time restriction is if you've spent a cumulative of 3 or more months in the UK between Jan 1, 1980 and Dec 31 1996. If they're not letting you donate because you've visited for a few weeks, I don't think they're enforcing the rules correctly.

[RealmOfX]

*a needle phobic wanders into thread*

*checks out topics*



*runs out of thread until they stop talking about medical stuff*

[NZNeep]

You should have seen the horror stories I just found... I was looking up ways to increase blood pressure so they would let me donate. Tonnes of stories about people with hard to find veins.

[RealmOfX]

*sticks fingers in ears*

*chants loudly*

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

la

[Mandysg1]

Oh Rox.....

Spoiler:

Needles!!!!!!