No AIDS Risk in Blood in Private Banks, Study Says
An investigation ordered after a man was arrested for trying to sell his AIDS-tainted blood to a private donation bank has concluded that blood from such centers in the county is safe from AIDS, according to a report released Wednesday.
The 12 private blood banks now operating in Los Angeles County comply with state and federal regulations that guard against contamination, the report by county Director of Health Services Robert Gates said.
“There is no risk (of AIDS) associated with the plasma” such centers collect, Gates said.
County supervisors ordered the investigation last month after the arrest of Joseph Markowski, a reputed male prostitute charged with attempting to sell his blood to such a center while being infected with the AIDS virus.
Most of the centers in the county operate in Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley. Others are located in Carson, Long Beach and Compton.
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