Features

Back to Top

Wesleyan certainly got its blood pumping this Wednesday and Thursday, as the blood drive once again made its way to campus in an attempt to reverse Connecticut’s dwindling blood supply. 

According to Kathleen Moulton, head nurse at the Blood Drive, the already low amount of blood reserves has recently increased due to a number of restrictions on who is eligible to donate. While approximately 160 people walked in offering to donate each day, a total of 196 pints were ultimately gathered, meaning that only 62 percent were allowed.

One major change has been the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation about determining levels of iron in the blood.

‘The FDA recently changed the use of ear sticks to finger sticks for determining whether a person is fit to donate or not because of their iron levels," Moulton said.

The old practice of sampling blood from the ear was recently moved to the finger tip because the FDA found that ears contain a concentrated amount of iron. As a result, people who have borderline iron deficiencies can no longer donate.

Despite the number of people they had to turn away, Moulton said the blood drive was very successful with the Wesleyan community.

"We’re always happy to come to Wesleyan, because turn out is incredible," Moulton said.

"I’ve donated seven times because it’s a really easy way to do something good for other people," said Chessa Ring ’02

However, a large number of students at Wesleyan feel that some of the blood drive’s restrictions are unnecessary. One of the 37 questions leading to a deferral on the required questionnaire asks if the potential donor has engaged in sex with a homosexual male since 1977. According to the FDA, the threat of AIDS places homosexual males in a risk group.

Members of Wesleyan’s Queer Alliance (QA) set up a table at the blood drive for the second year in a row and asked those attending the drive to sign a letter, which QA members said they plan to send to the FDA. According to the letter, the FDA employs a double standard when determining risk behavior.

"The FDA allows men who have had sex with prostitutes to donate blood one year after their encounter while disallowing all men who have had sex with men since 1977. There are no longer risk groups for HIV, only risk behaviors," a segment of the QA letter said.

Max Krafft ’04, who is a member of QA, said he is opposed to the question pertaining to homosexuality because he believes it is due to stereotypes many people still have about homosexuality.

"It’s a product of ignorance that creates a social stigma and the stats used against gay men being allowed to donor are outdated," Krafft said. "They no longer hold water." 

According to Moulton the FDA reevaluated the statement a year ago and based its decision on medical fact.

"It’s only at Wesleyan that we are faced with this problem. The QA needs to understand that the FDA and AABB are not politically motivated as they suspect," Moulton said. "You’re dealing with human lives here and no blood test is 100% accurate."

Interim Chief Medical Officer of the FDA Rebecca Haley, M.D. concurred.

"This is a public health issue," Haley said. "Not a social policy issue."

Nevertheless, members of QA said they did not intend to deter others from donating but were primarily interested in drawing attention to their own cause.

Routine issues such as sickness, travel outside the United States, tattoos, piercings and certain medications also prevented students from donating.

Rachel Kriger ’02, who was kept from donating because of a cold, said she was sorry because donating had spiritual meaning for her.

"I was sad," Kriger said. "This is the ten days of repentance. It’s a special time, so I wanted to do a mitzvah."

Other students, who had better warning of their own ailments, assisted the blood drive as volunteers.

"I wasn’t able to give blood this year," said Kate Reder ’03. "But I still really wanted to be part of the effort."

"Oh, I absolutely thought it was imperative to do, because I fainted when I was six, and I feel a need to compensate for that, and to aid the bloodless community," said John Guerry ’02.