Don’t compromise facts to make a point

I would like a chance to correct an inaccuracy in Scott Tibbs’ Feb. 21 Jordan River Forum letter, “Don’t compromise safety for political correctness.” Mr. Tibbs’ assertion that “same-sex intimacy increases the risk one has of contracting STDs such as AIDS” implies that somehow opposite-sex sexual activity does not increase the risk one has of contracting STDs such as AIDS. In fact, according to the CDC, there has never been a confirmed case of a woman transmitting HIV to another woman in the U.S, which would fall under Mr. Tibbs’ broad category of “same-sex intimacy.”\nFurthermore, intimacy encompasses much more than any specific sexual act or even sex in general. It is entirely possible to be intimate with someone without being sexual. This is why infections spread by sexual contact are not called intimately-transmitted diseases.\nThe truth is, the majority of the data available for men that have sex with men lumps all MSM into a single category, regardless of in what context the sex is occurring. If the FDA (who set the guidelines of blood donation, not The Red Cross) were really worried about the safety of its blood supply, it would rework its guidelines to try to weed out individuals with risky and irresponsible sexual behavior regardless of the sex of their partners. This policy does not recognize the difference between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. If Mr. Tibbs is so concerned with the lack of donated blood, he should be petitioning the FDA to change its policy to include a pool of completely worthwhile donors. This proposal is not just something dreamed up by radical LGBT activists but is something endorsed by the HIV Medicine Association, an organization of health care professionals involved in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS.