A group of students is protesting Red Cross guidelines that prevent sexually active gay men from donating blood.
Laura Wieschaus '07, Meghan McCormick '07 and Karen Wolfgang '06 have organized a meeting on Thursday to discuss the Red Cross policy and take action, possibly through a letter-writing campaign.
Red Cross guidelines state that "a male who has had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977" cannot give blood because of the risk of passing on HIV.
Critics charge that the policy is discriminatory and counterproductive to the Red Cross' goals.
"[The policy] limits the amount of blood available to the public, and it also perpetuates a negative stereotype regarding homosexuals," said Wieschaus, a Red Cross volunteer coordinator.
Fewer than 200 students donate blood during each drive, which is a small proportion of the student population, Wieschaus said. She said the number could increase if the policy were altered.
"Every time we've done a drive, I've received emails asking why homosexual males aren't allowed to give blood," Wieschaus said.
According to its website, the Red Cross screens donated blood for drugs, viruses and diseases regardless of what donors say about their sexual activity.
"The bottom line for me is people who want to be able to donate and don't pose a significant risk should be able to," Wolfgang said, adding that the policy is outdated and needs to be rethought and reworded.
Another Red Cross student volunteer called the restriction appropriate.
Given the high incidence of HIV infection among male homosexuals who are sexually active, Ira Leeds '06 said, "allowing this homosexual subset to donate blood will increase the amount of HIV-infected blood in the national donor pool. Such actions seem unconscionable."
About two-thirds of all HIV infections among men in 2003 were contracted by men who had sex with men, according to figures released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"I am extremely concerned that a group of political ideologues are hijacking the Princeton chapter while entirely ignoring the medical consequences of their actions," Leeds said in an email.
He added that HIV screening of donated blood is not completely effective.
Some students and faculty, however, argue that the policy is ineffective and prejudiced.
"The question is not about if you've had unprotected sex, and it doesn't hold accountable all those people who've had unprotected sex," LGBT Student Services Coordinator Debbie Bazarsky said.
Bazarsky noted that a gay man who had sex once in 1980 would be prevented from donating blood, while a heterosexual man who has had unprotected sex with many partners can volunteer.
Paul Pawlowski '07, vice president of the Pride Alliance, said there are more effective ways to gauge a donor's sexual health.
"If I've been with the same person for over six months and have not had intercourse with any other men, and both of us have been monogamous and HIV-tested, then I have no chance of having HIV," he said.
Pawlowski said that better questions to ask donors could include whether they have protected sexual intercourse, whether they have multiple partners and whether they use drugs to heighten the sexual experience.
He added that there is a high level of awareness about HIV/AIDS within the gay community, which increases the likelihood that gay people get tested.
While Pawlowski said he understands how historical statistics have influenced the Red Cross policy, he laments that he "can't help society by donating blood just because I have sex with men."
The Red Cross did not respond to a request for comment.
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