The HIV/AIDS Challenge

by Thomas Pison, Ph. D.

[This article was first published in various ASTD and SHRM publications in 1996. Dr. Thomas Pison, for years a certified American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Education Instructor concerned about the misperceptions of people regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic, permits this article to be reprinted provided credit is given and the web source http://worldtraining.net acknowledged.]

If we were confronted with the plague, one might understand the impulse to retreat from the threat like the revelers in the Decameron. However, unlike the plague devastating Renaissance Italy, there is solid evidence that the HIV/AIDS epidemic can be controlled – its threat mitigated until medical research discovers an effective global solution.

Meanwhile, we must do more to encourage people to replenish our blood supply used for transfusions in routine medical situations, as well as for emergencies and national disasters. The recent Red Cross public relations controversy emphasized the need for a timely, organized, sustained blood donation campaign that would ensure that all blood be properly handled and stored.

The glut of whole blood received was like an unexpectedly large harvest of grain wasted as a consequence of inadequate storage facilities. Our next disaster could be more like the embassy attacks in Africa, incurring innumerable casualties requiring transfusions. Corporate America has the resources and infrastructure to manage this volunteer campaign both here and worldwide. The will to do so is hindered considerably by persistent misperceptions generated by the media regarding the safety of the donor.

The first misperception resulting in our current global blood supply shortage is the fear of infection from the blood supply. Because people believe the supply to be tainted, they have little incentive to donate, much less be associated in the effort. However, your chances of becoming infected from a transfusion are infinitesimal. All donors are interviewed for risks of HIV infection. In addition, all donated blood is tested for HIV antibodies. Only one in 10,000 donations tests positive for HIV antibodies. This blood is destroyed.

Since antibody testing began in 1985, few people have become HIV-infected and developed AIDS after receiving blood that had been screened for HIV antibodies. The most effective way to decrease the risk is to increase the supply taken from healthy donors. If you are in good health and have donated before, your blood donation now can only improve the prospects for all of us.

The Red Cross uses a combination of measures to protect the blood supply from becoming infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or other disease agents. Some of the measures the Red Cross uses are the following:

These procedures permit donors who feel they may be at risk of HIV infection to stop the blood from being used for a transfusion, without exposure or embarrassment. Also, donors receive a telephone number and the identification number on their donated blood. If, within a few days after donating, they decide the blood should not be used, donors can call the Red Cross, give the identification number, and the blood will be destroyed. This will save the donor agency time and money devoted to ensuring the integrity of the blood supply.

The Red Cross tests a sample of every blood donation for antibodies to HIV. Any blood that tests positive is destroyed by being burned at an extremely high temperature. The antibody tests used to protect the blood supply are very good. They find over 99.8 percent of all HIV infected blood. All donated blood is initially screened using an HIV-antibody test known as the ELISA. This test is also very good. Studies show that the test detects over 99.8 percent of all HIV-infected blood. The Western blot, which is used to confirm all positive ELISA tests, is as sensitive as ELISA.

By interviewing donors to detect their risk of having HIV and by using such sensitive testing, the Red Cross and other blood banks protect the blood supply from virtually all HIV-infected blood. Since all donors are interviewed and all donations are screened for HIV antibodies, the risk of HIV-infected blood entering the blood supply is very low. Given these measures, any risk of HIV-infected blood entering the blood supply in the United States is negligible.

The second misperception that has led to a critical blood shortage is that many believe that by donating blood they will discover they have AIDS. Everyone needs to be aware that immediate changes to life-style and behavior can forestall the progression from HIV to AIDS. Some people have gone more than ten years before developing AIDS syndrome. Current treatments are also available that can inhibit the development of AIDS. No one knows what the next ten years will produce in the way of treatment. Smart people will do all they can to wait it out. Preventative measures also help.

Do not donate blood in order to find out your HIV status.

You will be told about the results from testing the blood you donated if your blood tests positive for antibodies to HIV. However, the Red Cross tests blood to safeguard the blood supply, not to provide a testing service for people who want to know their HIV status. Call your local Red Cross or health department to find out where testing is available.

If the blood does not test positive for HIV antibodies, the usual procedures for donation are followed, in which case you would not be notified. Blood samples are tested at least four times before a donor is considered positive for HIV. If a donor is confirmed positive for HIV, the Red Cross takes measures to contact them and recommends they consult a physician.

Finally, the third and most tragic misperception is that people think they can contract HIV/AIDS simply by donating blood; therefore, they are reluctant. Whether that reluctance feeds on the taboo staus AIDS has achieved or vice versa is irrelevant, our consequent predicament is real. AIDS is a result of infection caused by a virus (HIV). You cannot get this virus (or any other disease agent) by giving blood in the United States because of the following safeguards:

You cannot get HIV by giving blood. If you have given blood in the past,
it is important that you continue to do so. If your firm would like to take a leadership role in the business community by sponsoring a blood drive, please contact the American Red Cross or me for more details. In addition, as a Red Cross volunteer, I am available for "brown-bag" briefings on the HIV/AIDS epidemic at no cost to your firm.

For more information and current statistics call 800-342-AIDS or 800-458-5231, The National AIDS Clearinghouse for additional information on AIDS in the workplace.

Dr. Thomas Pison was for many years a certified American Red Cross HIV/AIDS Education Instructor. Increasingly concerned about the misconceptions of people regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Dr. Pison gives permission for this article to be reprinted provided credit is given and the domain source http://worldtraining.net is acknowledged.