Direct oral questions to blood donors: the impact on screening for human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract

Given that HIV antibody screening cannot detect HIV-seronegative (but infectious) "window-period" donations, the deferral of at-risk donors may offer some additional protection to the blood supply. However, evidence was not found of an increase in safety of the blood supply as measured by HIV seroprevalence.

Face‐to‐face interviewing in predonation screening: lack of effect on detected human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infections

“…There have been several reports that face‐to‐face interviewing was associated with more deferrals for HIV risk, 21‐23 but the circumstances of these earlier investigations differed, because a move to direct questioning for high‐risk behaviors occurred at the same time. To our knowledge, an analysis similar to ours (where a change in the method of asking the high‐risk questions was implemented without concomitant changes in the content of the questions) has not been reported before.…”

Estimated Risk of Transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus by Screened Blood in the United States

“…Second, our lower estimate of risk may be due in part to the use of a safer donor pool. Since the start of HIV-antibody testing of the blood supply, the seroprevalence of HIV among both first-time and repeat donors has declined annually, probably because of the recruitment of lowrisk donors, the questioning of prospective donors, 23 and the exclusion of donors who test positive on laboratory screening tests. Third, our calculations were based on data for donations in service regions of the American National Red Cross across the United States.…”

Reducing the risk of transfusion‐transmissible viral infection through blood donor selection: the Australian experience 2000 through 2006

“…These data have been supplemented by studies of risk factors for infection of individual TTVIs (notably HIV and HCV) in various groups of accepted blood donors 25‐29 . Others have analyzed reasons for donor deferral 30 and the factors influencing donor behavior and risk disclosure at the screening interview 31‐37 . Unified analysis of the contribution and dynamics of the donor selection process has been limited, however 10,38 .…”