Dear Sharlene and everyone else, it is not my intent to belittle dominican women, or you either. (and if you had read the next line in my previous post, I made the SAME point about dominican MEN). I am simply trying to make a point - does anyone here know the people here on DR1 well enough to ask them for blood?
As for facts, I'm no expert, and I don't trust the internet, but here are some things put out by organizations like USAID, World Health Organization, etc:
The incidence of Hepatitis B in the DR = 4%. In the US it is 0.5%. In the UK, it is 0.3%.
The incidence of Hepatitis C in the DR is 2.4%. In the US it is 1.8%. In the UK, it is just 0.02%. Congratulations, UK.
The DR has an incidence of HIV of 1,036 of every 100,000 population. In Haiti, it is 3,377 per 100,000. Approximately 1 of 8 people in the DR are from Haiti.
The DR has the 3rd highest # of years of life lost (from the life expectancy figures) to communicable diseases in the western hemisphere, surpassed only by Haiti and Guatemala. Most of these diseases are passed by blood or by sexual contact.
For dominican males aged 15 to 24, 52 % of males used a condom in their last high-risk sex act.
For dominican females aged 15 to 24, 29 % of females used a condom in their last high-risk sex act.
Sorry Sharlene, these numbers DO look to me like "many" (and for females in this age group )- the "majority" of dominicans in this age group. Maybe your friends are goody two-shoes, or maybe they don't really know their daughters as well as they think either.
Dominicans aged 15 to 24 represent about 14% of the country's population.
(Look under the heading "HIV AIDS" , near the end of this category, for this 6 year study)
UNICEF - At a glance: Dominican Republic - Statistics
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As estimated by the Dominican government's Women's ministry, there are an estimated 100,000 dominicans in the DR working as sex workers. They ( and their experts) estimate that this industry is supported by 1,000,000 clients.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PRESENTS FIFTH PERIODIC REPORT ON EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION CONVENTION
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In a study done of the sex industry, 25% of sex workers say they NEVER use a condom with their clients. See Page 10 here>>
http://pdf.dec.org/pdf_docs/PNACW975.pdf
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Lambada "QUOTE": "Women are excluded from donating: any age, all women. Of course I asked why & was told donations from women cause a lot of problems 'Women get a lot of headaches' she said. Didn't exactly sound like a scientific explanation to me, but she's the doctor & I'm not." ENDQUOTE -
Lambada, are you sure that your doctor friend in Puerta Plata did not actually say or mean to say "Women GIVE (us) a lot of headaches"? (as donors), but somehow got lost in translation? Could this refer to a higher percentage of females with blood problems which would exclude them from donating blood in Puerto Plata?
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Various quotes from Sharlene:
QUOTE
"Well Lambada now appears to have uncovered the main reason for the blood shortages... I am shocked and appalled that women are excluded from giving blood."
---So you're blaming the hospitals refusal to accept women as donors as a "Sexist plot", when it may actually have a medical or historical basis for implementation??
QUOTE
"The recipient of the appeal, had MANY people coming forward and after paying for those people to be separated out into those that were suitable etc, the end cost of 8 pints of blood was $1800! It would appear that the cost of the blood and the 'screening' of donors process doesn't appear to be covered by medical insurance....."
---So you think that Dominican health insurance coverage should be just like good old socialistic England or Canada, and "free" to the recipient? Why do you think that health insurance premiums here in the DR are about 5% of the cost of that in "civilized" countries? And, apparently you think that $1800 is excessive for 8 pints of blood? Probably sounds very cheap to the person who received it...
QUOTE
"I guess a strategy requires careful thought and consideration, given the current situation..... I guess the first thing to do is to find out the real reason why women aren't allowed to donate and who exactly is responsible for that decision so we can see what we're 'up against' in the quest to 'raise consciousness'...."
---I am only attempting to raise YOUR consciousness that maybe, just maybe, the medical folks here in the DR may not be quite as ignorant or sexist as you would lead us to believe...
Sorry Sharlene, but this sounds like a bit of bashing to me, of Dominican clinic policies, Dominican doctor's attitudes and DR health insurance. That to me IS the Dominican Health Industry.
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I am still waiting for AZB, a widely known DR1er who also happens to be a medical professional and also a man-about-Santiago, about HIS thoughts on this, but maybe he is too busy snapping photos of pretty girls to see this thread.
Hillbilly also has many friends and sources in the medical community and may be able to shed some light on this attitude. And where oh where is ECH??
Sharlene, I am not attempting to tell you that this is a bad idea, but am just playing devil's advocate to consider the implications. No, I am no whoremonger, or a sex tourist. I live a boring life in Santo Domingo, as evidenced by my too-long posts here on DR1. (but also considering that 98% of my friends here in the DR are Dominican middle-class males, and I hear their stories, then maybe some of your dominicana friends would be shocked to know the truth too)
I also know that DR1ers are not all Puritans, and for you to consider that asking for blood here may be no different than standing along the waterfront in any Dominican town and asking for blood donations - it may be no safer here!