Are we unable to let go of our fears?

Blood shortages have been a problem in this country for some time now. There are always blood drives that try to entice and encourage people to donate blood for a good cause. From my point of view, I always found these blood drives to be a success, however the drives are not enough to lift the blood shortage to a sufficient status. According to an article written by Arthur Caplan, there seems to be an increasing shortage in blood supply owing to the fact that men who engage in same sex relationships are not permitted by law to donate blood. Apparently, since the AIDS epidemic became a threat in the mid 1980s, gay men have since not been allowed to even give their blood owing to their vulnerability to the disease. The government placed this law in effect when the epidemic was new and treatment was not available. Caplan feels that the shortage is owed to the fact that our government is still holding on to old fears by not allowing gay men to donate blood. With the advancement of medicine allowing for people to live longer and to combat the disease more efficiently, Caplan maintains that it is time for all people to give their blood by choice, and not be denied to do so just because of their sexual orientation. With the ever changing advancement of technology, AIDS and HIV can be detected earlier according to Caplan...so what should we be worried about? The government should realize that things are progressing at a positive rate in the medicine field. If we want these blood shortages to stop, the government should make some changes.Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13106365/