Red Cross Rant + Missing Blood

[Salted Grump]

I can't donate for one reason.

My dad had HIV.

[Mikkel]

I can't donate for one reason.

My dad had HIV.

It seems strange, assuming you weren't infected. As far as I know, the chance of getting HIV from someone who haven't got it is zero, no matter what their family have had.

I can't donate either. I had Hepatitis A when I was young and test positive for antibodies.
I don't understand that either. Wouldn't some antibodies be good for the one getting my blood? They could save a vaccination .

[Salted Grump]

Mostly it's a case of Living in a High-risk environment; Legally, if any family member you've encountered has any blood-borne incurable disease (Eg. HIV, Hepatitis, several other nastier ones), then you're ineligible to donate blood, because there's always the ~risk~ of you being infected somehow.

So it's more about (justified) paranoia of the 'better safe than sorry' mentality. This is most prevalent in Canada, mind, due to the Krever Inquiry that my father testified in.