We Don't Want Your Stinkin' Gay Organs....

[JohnOso]

Okay, something happened yesterday at work that annoyed the hell outta me.

I'm a nurse and work in an intensive care unit.  Whenever we have a death on the unit, we're required to call the California organ donation "hotline" and go over the entire patient history with the organ/tissue bank coordinator (every death, every time).

Used to be fairly easy with a couple of questions, idle chit chat -- boom! no problems.  Nowadays everyone hates to do it, because it's so time-consuming to go over labs, vital signs, etc. from the past several days prior to the death.  Plus, follow-up phone calls, yada, yada, yada......

Yesterday, for the first time, they asked, "Was this person a known homosexual?"  I was momentarily taken aback, but continued onward (being the, *ahem*, professional that I am   ).

Of course after the phone call, all my co-workers and doctors within earshot were treated to the Oso (once again) showing his ass, and treated to a tirade of choice words (don't worry, they're used to it by now -- my professionalism can only go so far  )

Now I don't know if they 100% exclude gays, but after the blood donation thread....it just rubs me the wrong way.

Valid complaint?  Overreaction?  Pearl clutcher?

John
(who actually has a weakness for gay organs)

[Razorbill]

I cannot even imagine such a question to be part of the protocol.  Questions about HIV and other exlusionary conditions yes, but being gay?  Come on.  So what was their response to your lack of collegiality on the phone?   

[Blixer]

I'm with you on this John.  Not an overreaction.  I could see there being an issue of HIV or Hep C or something else was involved. But just to exclued someone because they were a known homosexual.  What about a known bisexual... are they excluded?    Was this actually part of an accepted protocol or just someone new or who didn't have a clue?

[fearless]

Well, John, you don't want to spread homosexuality. It's a wicked disease.

You are the ultimate professional, though. I'm curious how they would even expect you to know whether or not he was in fact a 'known homosexual', and why that mattered. I would have been tempted to answer along the lines of, "Well, when I was trying to picking him up on his death bed, he assured me he was not gay".

I would have liked to have been in the room though, when you were showing your ass 

[RapidRod]

I don't understand the reason for the questioning. Donor's are tested before organs are released. Skin, bone, eyes and other tissue are all tested before they're released. I've never heard of that question coming up. I've seen more go to waste because of size than for any other reason (lungs and hearts). I've heard the salvage collectors say shit that won't work, several times and abort the salvage procedure.

[bocker3]

I, for one, am not surprised.  If you are a male, they ask if you have ever had sex with another man, even once, since 1976 (or so -- I forget the exact year).  If you answer that questions with a "yes", you can not donate blood.  So, why would anyone expect it to be different with organs??

Now, trust me, I agree that it is nuts and that we should be concerned with actual risks and not false ones.  So many men are excluded from donating much need blood and organs due to rules that only made a little sense 25 years ago and make absolutely no sense today, given the technological advances in screening tests out there.  As I mentioned in the blood donation thread, I wrote a paper in grad school about the false sense of security this policy gave in the blood area.

So, my point, anyway, is that I agree it's crazy, even asinine, but my only surprise is that you hadn't been asked this question before.

Mike

[DanielMark]

"Was this person a known homosexual?"

Sounds like a really bad line from a 1950s crime show.

 

[Queen Tokelove]

I'm gonna have to look into that one, I have a friend that works at a donor bank. I don't see what being gay has to do with anything. What? If they put a gay organ into someone they think the person is gonna turn gay....Ass.. I would've said something smart to him. It amazes me the ignorance of some...

[JohnOso]

Like I said, I have no idea where this came from...it's the first time i've ever heard anyone from the organ-snatchin' place utter those words.

I'm assuming new orders from upon high....

Believe you me, it will be investigated 

John
(who honed his rebellious streak at protests for gay rights WAY back yonder in the hills of Kentucky)

[mjmel]

Discrimination, even post mortum. What next?
Please let us know what you uncover in your follow-up.

[skeebo1969]

  So I guess this means that a HIV positive hetero sexual man or woman's organs are ok...  Just goes to show the ignorance of some people.

[Alain]

Didn't you all know that by getting a HOMO kidney you will turn GAY!

[ademas]

I remember a news story from a few years back where some patients (who were on the waiting list for organs) actually wanted HIV+ donors to be considered by the medical community.

The thought was that so many were dying while waiting for transplants that at least they would have an option to extend their lives for another 10-20 (or more) years by receiving an organ from "a known homosexual"--or even from an HIV-positive donor.

[Boo Radley]

This is tangential so I apologize but I was unhappily surprised several years ago when I called the state office that handles donations of one's corpse after death for medical study.  They don't accept cadavers that were infected with HIV, Hep, or other serious communicable diseases.   The cadavers are used strictly for anatomical training and they want no known risk of infection to students.

What is so frustrating is I hope studying my body might help with research on HIV.  Pulling apart my brain and lymph system and whatever else might supply information about long-term effects of HIV,  might add a small bit to the overall amount of knowledge about HIV.  Maybe not.

Does anyone know of a medical school or other research institution that takes applications for body donations?  I sure as hell don't want anyone wasting money embalming me before I'm cremated (state law requires embalming before elimination of the remains) unless they're going to dissect me later.

Thanks,

Boo

[RapidRod]

Here is Ohio State University guidelines. Since they do research in HIV and so does the University of Cincinnati you may not have any problems. You'll just need to contact them. http://medicine.osu.edu/ame/bodydonation2.html