Potentially fatal 'gift'

Published on Wednesday 16 April 2008 21:05

It seems that Mr Rob McDowall, "a campaigner on gay rights" (your report, 15 April), is rather more concerned with his rights than he is with his responsibilities.

His desire to allow people in "at-risk groups" in society to donate blood blatantly ignores the potentially disastrous consequences of the use of blood products donated from such groups to extremely ill patients.

He may not be aware that we, as a nation, are not allowed to donate blood overseas as we are perceived to be a potential danger to their recipients of blood products due to the incidence of CJD in the UK. I would no more attempt to force another country to accept my blood than I think Mr McDowall should be able to force the blood of gay and bisexual people on patients in this country.

Far from giving them "the gift of life", as he describes it, it may be the gift of any one of a number of potentially fatal illnesses, of which CJD and HIV are only two.

ANDREW HN GRAY

Craiglea Drive

Edinburgh