In Dartmouth's culture of charity - volunteering and self-sacrifice for the betterment of our world - students can literally save lives by donating blood. At least once per term, the Red Cross visits our campus. Each endearing drop of blood saves lives. However, there's more to donating blood than just saving a life -- there's the factor of anonymity, as well as personal beliefs and policies of the American Red Cross that bar some people from donating. In our culture of giving, some choose not to, and some are simply not allowed.

The principle behind donating blood is that the American Red Cross collects donations and uses them in times of need. This process may occur after a natural disaster such as an earthquake, or following what the Red Cross calls "quiet disasters." An intrinsic and controversial part of donating and receiving blood, however, is that neither the donor nor the recipient knows each other. Since blood is a necessity and is readily available if enough people donate, there is no need for either party to know each other. To the same end, some people are uncomfortable with the anonymity. Some may fear that, despite the Red Cross's precautions, the blood may still contain some hidden risk, while others may cringe at the purely anonymous nature of donating blood. "I just don't like the idea of giving my blood to anyone, and while if I needed blood, I wouldn't be able to deny it, I'm not even comfortable with getting someone else's" says one '11.

Beyond the constraints of anonymity, certain religious or personal beliefs may prohibit some from donating blood. For example, in Islam, Shariah law considers the body to be sacred and therefore human blood - and so many Muslims interpret this to mean that altering the body by donating blood - is not allowed. However, an '08 Muslim shared this:

"I think donating blood is an important act, and I am proud to donate my own blood when I can. Charity and the preservation of human life are important elements of Islam, and giving blood integrates both. One verse of the Qur'an reads, 'If any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind' (Al-Ma'dah: 32). Giving blood is a very simple way in which we can all help save another person's life. Muslim scholars unanimously agree that donating and receiving blood for medical purposes is allowed. Furthermore, there is a push in many Muslim countries to educate the population about the virtues and importance of donating blood."

But what about populations who want to donate blood, but aren't allowed?
The American Red Cross's website features a long list of regulations regarding the donation of blood. For obvious reasons, those infected with HIV/AIDS are not allowed to donate blood. Both are those who are on certain medicinal treatments (i.e., insulin injections) and those who have recently traveled to countries where malaria is present are also prohibited. In addition, those who might be considered at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, specifically HIV/AIDS, are not allowed to donate blood. Yet the Red Cross goes further in stating that those who are at risk, and therefore cannot donate blood, are males "who have had sexual contact with another male, even once, since 1977" (http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html#hiv).
This statement automatically assumes that having homosexual sex puts one at risk for HIV/AIDS, even if both partners are HIV/AIDS free. "It basically stigmatizes a whole group of the population implying that they have 'dirty' blood," says an '08. Perhaps the issue would receive more attention if, based on current rates of new HIV/AIDS infections, heterosexual men or women of a specific racial minority group, for instance, were barred from donating blood. Given the Red Cross's dire need for blood donations, the organization should simply enforce the more general regulation that anyone who has had sexual contact with someone infected with the HIV/AIDS virus should not donate blood, regardless of whether they are homosexual.

In a world of technology that grants every citizen the potential to save a life, some choose not to do so, and some are simply not allowed to do so. Yet the role which anonymity plays in donating blood allows some questions to go unanswered--men who have had homosexual relationships do not have to disclose such information, nor do those who have traveled to malaria-ridden countries. To this end, the Red Cross plays a tricky game and people's lives are in the balance.