Remember Special Workshop!

Social Concerns Meeting Tuesday Dec. 1, 7:00 pm

Interim minister Don Rollins will lead a special workshop on a new model for Social Justice activities in a congregation, a model with the power to increase congregational involvement and commitment to issues.   Please attend if you are a committee member or interested in being a committee member.

Part 3, Blood Bank Policy

As I left the Piedmont Blood Center on Main Street, I enjoyed that self-satisfied, yes, even smug feeling that I had done my civic duty!  I dropped into the Center at my convenience and, in less than an hour, was in and out.   I think everyone who can safely give blood, should.   It saves lives and for most people, it’s an easy way to help others.   
The Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA) blood donation policy denies gay and bisexual men this opportunity to help others and contribute to the common good.    If medical science hadn’t advanced since the 1980’s, this would be a necessary ban, along with similar bans against Haitians and Africans and, in Washington DC, all African American women (this group now has a frighteningly high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS).  Of these, only people from a few African countries are banned from donating.  Of course, medical science has advanced since then.  In fact, 

The Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (HIVMA)
The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
America’s Blood Centers (ABC)
and the American Red Cross (ARC)
have all been calling for the ban’s revision since 1997—that’s 12 years!

In March 2006, the FDA held a workshop on this issue.  Dr. Steven Kleinman, Senior Medical Advisor for the American Red Cross, stated then that “current duplicate testing using NAT and serologic methods allow detection of HIV- infected donors between 10 and 21 days after exposure. .. It does not appear rational to broadly differentiate sexual transmission via male-to-male sexual activity from that via heterosexual activity on scientific grounds...  To many, this differentiation is unfair and discriminatory.”    Yet, the FDA, ignored the recommendations of all four professional groups and took no action to revise the ban.
So, why is there a ban against gay men donating blood?
 What do you think?

Part 2. FDA Policy on Blood Bank Donors exclusions is outdated

What organizations in the US are most knowledgeable and concerned about preventing HIV/AIDS?  The Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America would be at the top of the list.  It  represents over 2,600 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who practice on the frontline of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
HIVMA explains that all blood donations today are tested with the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAT) for HIV.  The NAT detects HIV beginning 11 days after a person has contracted it.   In 2004 HIVMA stated that “the accuracy and reliability of the NAT …call for significant revisions to the current donor screening guidelines. It is discriminatory and unnecessary to continue to exclude any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 from donating blood.”
 HIVMA recommends that the blood donor screening procedures be revised to ask all potential donors to exclude themselves if they have recently engaged in unprotected sex with a partner of unknown HIV status or used a syringe not prescribed by a physician to take drugs or steroids.   To err on the side of caution, HIVMA states, “recently” might be defined as the previous six months.  … Why is the ban still in place?  More next week …     *HIVMA’s full statement at  http://www.hivma.org/Content.aspx?id=2788

Social Concerns Meeting Tuesday Dec. 1, 7:00

Interim minister Don Rollins will lead a special workshop on a new model for Social Justice activities in a congregation, a model with the power to increase congregational involvement and commitment to issues.   Please attend if you are a committee member or interested in being a committee member.

FDA Blood Donation Policy Information

The Social Concerns committee will be submitting a weekly paragraph to the bulletin & happenings to educate the congregation on this topic.   Here is No. 1:
Did you know that well over 10% of men are banned for life from donating blood?   In the 1980’s, when HIV/AIDs first became a problem, the FDA banned Haitians, intravenous drug users, and men who had had sex with another man from donating blood.   However, the ability to detect HIV in blood donations has become very good.  In 1990, Haitians protested their blanket exclusion from blood donations as racism, and Haitians were taken off this list.  However, all men who have had sex with another man (even once) since 1977 are still banned for life from donating blood.  Is that necessary for the safety of our blood supply?   Since 1997, AABB (the American Association of Blood Banks) has advocated that this lifetime ban should be lifted.    For more info, see  http://www.aabb.org/Content/Members_Area/Members_Area_Regulatory/Donor_Suitability/bpacdefernat030906.htm                 …Why is the ban still in place?  More next week …

Social Concerns Minutes October 28, 2009

October Meeting Minutes             

Attendance is listed at the end. 
We briefly reviewed October activities and November plans:
*Wed. Oct. 21st. Love, Knit & Crochet had its second meeting.  We are knitting/crocheting scarves for the homeless from now till Christmas, meeting on the third Wednesdayat 6:30.   We hope more will join us.
*Oct. 1st  & 3rd.  SPIHN (Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network):  The Diane Dixon Covenant Group prepared dinner for six guests at Fernwood Baptist Church, and Launa Blackburn and her brother were overnight hosts at Fernwood Baptist Church.    Abby Fowler agreed to lead the next dinner, in December.   We will look for another covenant group or small group for the following one, in February.
*Pink Sunday:  Alice spoke briefly about this breast cancer awareness day at the Oct. 25th service and material was available for interested church members.    This material is on the social concerns table.
*Nov. 1st Connie Godenick will begin a monthly Sunday morning health program for our congregation, and also open to the community. Connie and Alice will lead a vegetarian Wonderful Wednesday in November.

This month’s Topics
1. Don Rollins spoke on a particular model for Social Justice activities in a congregation, a model with the power to increase congregational involvement and commitment to issues.   Don offered to assist us with this if we wish, and then left for another meeting. We decided we want to work with this model, so will schedule a special meeting in November with Don on how to implement this, with the goal of information-gathering, educating the congregation, and then offering resolutions at the May Congregational meeting.   
2. PK gave us an update on the excellent work that Brandon David and fellow students are doing to fight school-district sanctioned religious speech & prayer at school events.
3. PK also reported, from Launa Blackburn, that Park Hills School is NOT accepting new volunteers at this time due to increased cost of background checks and the availability of Americorps volunteers.   However, previously screened volunteers are still very welcome.
4. Alice shared the Board’s request that we educate the congregation about the FDA Blood Bank policy and the resolution proposed by David Stack.   He shared with us additional information on this clearly discriminatory ban.   We discussed this, and all members present agreed to undertake this educational effort and discussed a step-by-step process using the Bulletin, the Happenings, and culminating in a 10:00 am meeting in January, some time prior to the Congregational meeting
5. ShareThePlate:   Alice reported that the Board heard the recommendations from the Social Concern and Finance Committees and postponed action.  The members of the Board were uncomfortable with the social concerns language because it was not explicit enough.  Karen and Nancy Mandlove are working on the phrasing.   No decision as yet. 
Social Concerns members are anxious for a speedy decision so that we can, hopefully, resume ShareThePlate.   Cindy mentioned the favorable attention our church received at the Asheville UU for our ShareThePlate checks on display.
5.  Placement of Collection Barrels:   We need to find a place—will consider this later.
6. Teretha Fowler presented information on prescription drug assistance available to low income people for a fee of only $20/ year.   We posted this information on the Social Concerns bulletin board.
7. The committee approved Flu Epidemic/No hugs reminder signs for the church doors.  These are posted.    

Present:  Alice Sutton (chair), Don Rollins (interim minister), members Abby Fowler, Teretha Fowler, PK Weiss, Cindy Howe, and Ed Wilde, and guests David Stack and Michael Rainey