I have no idea what's up with the red cross here.

[ranku]

Ok so, this is kinda a personal issue, but i am trying to figure out what's going on here.

about a year ago i tried to donate blood to the red cross for the first time. but shortly after, they sent me a letter back saying they got an inconclusive test for HIV in my blood and due to this they were not going to accept my donation and i am not allowed to donate again. I understand the reasoning behind this, after all, better safe than sorry right? but that's not the issue i'm having with them.

the issue is that i tried to go through their re-admission process, where they would draw vials from me and test my blood again to confirm that it was a false positive. i finally got this done about a month ago and i just got my results back 2 days ago....

i received the exact same results as last time. i tested as "repeat reactive" for their test for HIV antibodies, yet confirmed negative for the test for the virus itself.

now i would be a little bit worried about my blood tests if it wasn't for two things.
1. i had received a separate blood test at the naval hospital directly between these two donations and it confirmed that i was testing negative across the board.
2. it is medically impossible for me to have the virus (i'm a virgin, have never done drugs, never had a blood transfusion and was not born with the disease. there is just no way for me to have contracted the virus)

so with all of this considered, the red cross is just confusing me. I've already confirmed that i do not have the virus (in fact their tests say i don't have it, i apparently only have the antibodies) yet they have tested me inconclusive in the same category on BOTH tests about a year apart from each other. so i am still not allowed to donate because of this.

my question here is, what is going on with this? does anyone have any possible answers?

[Lefeng]

Blood donation recipients can have a reaction to the antibodies. There are loads of reasons that you can be denied donating blood. I had a friend in high school that had an abnormally high amount of iron in her blood and she was not allowed to donate.

[Cthulhu 2020]

http://www.virusmyth.com/aids/hiv/cjtestfp.htm

I wouldn't worry about it if you've been tested elsewhere and found negative. I'd imagine the red cross runs extra sensitive tests just in case, since your blood is going into someone else.

[ranku]

http://www.virusmyth.com/aids/hiv/cjtestfp.htm

I wouldn't worry about it if you've been tested elsewhere and found negative. I'd imagine the red cross runs extra sensitive tests just in case, since your blood is going into someone else.

that list is actually very helpful, thanks! considering that nothing major happened that i can think of around the time of the donations, that i would most likely be under the "naturally occurring" category. also i wasn't quite worried, as i said, there was no way for me to have contracted the disease and i had the separate blood test.

you're probably right about the high sensitivity tests, that also might be what causes it.

[OzoAndIndi]

Never heard of that, and a second time, that is strange! If all checks out fine and Red Cross is still being weird might see if you have a local Blood Bank you can become a member of.

[slime]

The red cross isn't eaxctly known for turning people away who are willing to give them blood. I'd go see a doctor and ask what could cause this kinda of test result. I don't think it's HIV - like you said yourself you are 99% in the clear, but maybe it is another autoimmune problem or something you should look into.

[Alvito]

Any blood, plasma or other type of place taking fluids from the human body will not let you come back after a positive test for HIV/AIDS false or not. There is no reason to risk a false negative after that. If you are at all confused about why they are looking out for the safety of the ppl getting the blood or themselves legally you might want to make a new thread, "I have no idea what's up with me here."

---------- Post added 2013-06-23 at 07:19 AM ----------

Never heard of that, and a second time, that is strange! If all checks out fine and Red Cross is still being weird might see if you have a local Blood Bank you can become a member of.

One positive test for HIV/AIDS false or not and your name goes on a national registry list that they all use. The OP wont be able to donate anywhere.

[ranku]

Any blood, plasma or other type of place taking fluids from the human body will not let you come back after a positive test for HIV/AIDS false or not. There is no reason to risk a false negative after that. If you are at all confused about why they are looking out for the safety of the ppl getting the blood or themselves legally you might want to make a new thread, "I have no idea what's up with me here."

---------- Post added 2013-06-23 at 07:19 AM ----------



One positive test for HIV/AIDS false or not and your name goes on a national registry list that they all use. The OP wont be able to donate anywhere.

you are way far off of what i was saying. the entire question i am asking is why is it coming back with multiple false positives?

[Alvito]

you are way far off of what i was saying. the entire question i am asking is why is it coming back with multiple false positives?

Which was answered in part by a few ppl. There are several ways it could happen, it might not be a false positive either. When you mentioned you went back to them that is why I wrote what I did. They had to have told you at the first positive test you would not be able to donate ever at any site. So why go back? At that point it is time to see a real doctor and get some labs done.

You said "2. it is medically impossible for me to have the virus (i'm a virgin, have never done drugs, never had a blood transfusion and was not born with the disease. there is just no way for me to have contracted the virus)" Those aren't the only ways to get it. You can be or could have been exposed in other ways. The chance of contracting it other ways goes down though the other ways but it is possible all the same.

[ranku]

Which was answered in part by a few ppl. There are several ways it could happen, it might not be a false positive either. When you mentioned you went back to them that is why I wrote what I did. They had to have told you at the first positive test you would not be able to donate ever at any site. So why go back? At that point it is time to see a real doctor and get some labs done.

You said "2. it is medically impossible for me to have the virus (i'm a virgin, have never done drugs, never had a blood transfusion and was not born with the disease. there is just no way for me to have contracted the virus)" Those aren't the only ways to get it. You can be or could have been exposed in other ways. The chance of contracting it other ways goes down though the other ways but it is possible all the same.

the reason for going back was that you actually can be allowed to donate again if you go through the readmission process. they make you set up an appointment for them to draw several tubes of blood that they will then screen again. if nothing comes up then they will send those results back along with a notice that you will be stricken from the registry that you mentioned earlier and will be allowed to donate again. also i did go to a hospital and get these labs done, they all came back negative.

as for that last part, i actually didn't know of any other ways to contract it. but since we're on the subject, what are the ones you're referring to?