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What is being done to prevent contraction of HIV through blood transfusion?

I know that some people have contracted HIV through blood transfusions. What is being done nowadays to stop this from happening again?

I know that some people have contracted HIV through blood transfusions. What is being done nowadays to stop this from happening again?

In the early days of HIV (around the 1980s), some people got infected through blood transfusion. Once countries knew about HIV, all blood transfusion agencies adopted very stringent measures (supporting those that had existed before) to make sure that all the blood was safe. The South African Blood Donation Service employs the following measures to make sure that blood is safe:

• Screening of donors – the agency screens potential donors. People with risky behaviour, such as intravenous drug users and men who have sex with men, are not allowed to donate blood.
• Testing the blood – all blood that is donated is tested for all kinds of illnesses, including HIV. The agency uses Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology (NAT), which detects the HIV six to 11 days from the day of infection. In other words, even if you are in the window period, the virus can be detected as early as six days after infection.
For more information, you can contact SANBS on 0800 11 9031.

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