Donating blood is often done for a good cause.
Despite some fear, most of us can be assured that it could possibly save someone’s life.
However, there will be some circumstances in which you should not donate, be it due to sickness or perhaps medication.
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And lying about it makes it worse, especially if you know it could possibly cause harm to somebody.
HIV-Positive Man Lies About Sexual History When Donating Blood; is Jailed and Fined
Today (10 Mar), a 30-year-old man was sentenced to jail and fined a hefty sum of money.
He had donated blood at a donation drive, only to be tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a week after.
This occurred on 24 May 2019, at a donation drive organised by CapitaGreen along Market Street in the Central Business District (CBD).
As others did, the man had to complete a health assessment questionnaire and declaration form.
He answered no when asked if he had sex with another man, had body piercings over the last 12 months, and if he had been exposed to other blood sources.
The man reconfirmed this with medical personnel and did not use the provided hotline in the case he did not want to donate blood for any reason.
Lying About His History
Unfortunately, all of those had been lies.
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On 31 May 2019, he tested positive for HIV.
The man later told a doctor at the Health Science Authority (HSA) that he actually had sex with two men before the blood donation.
He also got ear piercings done sometime in Feb 2019.
A prosecutor from the Ministry of Health (MOH) sought a sentence, but also requested a shorter jail term as the man had been truthful to the doctor.
In most cases like this, the man would likely be jailed for four months.
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The man was also very apologetic in court, and his lawyer also said that he regretted his actions greatly.
He was eventually sentenced to three months of jail and fined S$10,000.
Punishment for false providing information relating to a blood donation could go up to two years of jail, a $20,000 fine or both.
A Similar Case
While such stories are not pleasant to hear, another similar case also happened recently.
CNA reported that a 37-year-old man also did not accurately report his information during a blood donation drive last year.
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When doing the Donor Health Assessment Questionnaire, he had answered no to having sex with another man.
However, when his blood tested positive for HIV, and when the doctor told him that oral sex also counted, he revealed that in 2017 he had oral sex with a man in India.
He pleaded guilty in court on 3 March.
The man was also unable to afford HIV treatment as he was a foreigner and not eligible for subsidies.
His intentions were to help the country during the pandemic as blood supplies were running low.
He is set to return to court on 12 March.
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Feature Image: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock.com
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