title: Confidential unit exclusion: the North London Blood Transfusion Centre's experience.
abstract: A 'Confidential AIDS Questionnaire' has been used at North London Blood Transfusion Centre (NLBTC) donor sessions since July, 1985. The aim of the questionnaire is to encourage self-exclusion by those donors whose behaviour puts them at risk of HIV infection. In a situation where such individuals cannot avoid donating they can indicate, in confidence, that their blood should not be used for transfusion. Since the introduction of this procedure, an average of 10 donors per month, who admitted relevant risk behaviour, have been permanently excluded and a number of prospective donors have excluded themselves when faced with the questionnaire. We have found the questionnaire to be well accepted by donors. It is a useful adjunct to routine donor selection and microbiological testing of donations in our efforts to minimize transfusion-transmitted infection.
authors.affiliation: NLBTC, U.K.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barbara
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D003219:Confidentiality; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D011477:Sex Work; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies