Blood Donation Petition

This abstract summarizes a recording titled "Blood Donation Petition" from a podcast interview on the 8th of June, 2020. The discussion involves Troy Mihaka, co-organizer of a petition aimed at changing blood donation regulations in New Zealand, specifically those affecting men who have sex with men (MSM).

Mihaka explains the historical context behind the current restrictions, which originated during the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis when MSM were largely perceived as the primary transmitters of the virus. Originally, New Zealand enforced a lifetime ban on blood donations from MSM. This policy was eventually softened to a five-year deferral and, more recently in 2014, modified to a 12-month stand-down period.

Despite improved testing technologies that can rapidly detect HIV status and the routine testing of all donated blood, the 12-month deferral remains in place. Mihaka argues that this duration is excessive, noting that HIV can be detected within a maximum of three months post-infection. This restriction was personally impactful for Mihaka, who shares an experience of being unable to donate blood at age 16 due to fear of disclosing their sexual activity with classmates. They recall this as the first encounter with institutionalized homophobia and reflect on the broader cultural and societal attitudes towards MSM and HIV.

Mihaka then discusses the petition to change blood donation laws, motivated by COVID-19's highlighting the urgent need for blood donors and international precedents from countries such as the USA, UK, and Canada, which have reduced deferral periods to three months. They address the seemingly discriminatory nature of the restrictions, which seem to target MSM disproportionately when other groups also pose risks. Mihaka rejects this as unfair, noting that some members of the queer community were unaware of these restrictions and had been donating blood.

The discussion highlights the complexities of these restrictions in light of other excluded groups, such as those who lived in the UK or France during the mad cow disease crisis, thus illuminating inconsistencies in the application of donor eligibility based on perceived risk. The conversation also touches on the legal framework in New Zealand, where the Human Rights Act is not supreme law, making it a challenge to address this issue through legal or governmental channels.

The petition's goal is to align regulations with the current scientific understanding of HIV transmission, advocating for the ability of MSM in monogamous relationships to donate without deferral, much like heterosexual monogamous couples can. Mihaka hopes to gather more support and present the issue before New Zealand's health authorities and government representatives.

Lastly, Mihaka shares perspectives on the wider COVID-19 situation in New Zealand and societal changes that could influence their political aspirations, expressing concern for and solidarity with other marginalized communities.

The interview ends with a list of key terms and references that have influenced and contextualized this discussion on blood donation policies and the advocacy work towards ending discriminatory practices within health and social domains.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Troy Mihaka

1980s, 2020s, aotearoa new zealand, blood, blood donation, blood donation petition, canada, covid-19 (coronavirus), creutzfeldt-jakob disease, discrimination, dunedin, general election, george floyd, hepatitis, hiv / aids, homelessness, homophobia, homosexual law reform act (1986), human rights act (1993), human rights commission, luke redward, member of parliament, new zealand blood service, petition, politics, port chalmers, racism, school, stereotypes, the integrity party of aotearoa new zealand, troy mihaka, united kingdom, united states of america, wellington, winston peters

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