AIDS and the donation of blood in Saudi Arabia. In reply [to letter of Armand P. Gelpi] [letter]

I appreciate very much the comments on our article published in JAMA and I would like to clarify the following points. In the past Saudis did not donate sufficient blood for local use because the government made it available and not because donating blood reduces sexual prowess. After the occurence of the first case of AIDS in Saudi Arabia a comprehensive educational program was initiated to alert physicians and the Saudi public to the potential transmission of the AIDS virus through imported blood. Since then blood imports have been completely stopped and all blood used in Saudi Arabia is now locally supplied by voluntary donors. Expatriates who donate blood are compensated while Saudi citizens are not paid for blood donations. Since adoption of this program we have not experienced any shortage in blood supplies. (full text)