What do you want from me? Blood?

Well, we'll see. After a few years careful consideration I decided to go to the blood bank today to find out if I qualify as a blood donour. In the end the nurse told me to go home and think about it some more because she didn't want me to be in complete agony every time I'm going there to donate. But to start from the beginning. My mother is a blood donour, and she's been one for ages. She's been telling me for ages that I should be one too, as I've got a bit of an unusual blood group. So yesterday she kind of cornered me with a cheerful "I'm going tomorrow, you're coming along?". And as I didn't want her to discover what a wuss I really am I put on what I imagine is my coolest face and went "sure". So she picked me up at eleven this morning and drove me to the hospital. By now I had to admit - even to my mother - that I was slightly nauseous and not really too excited about the whole ordeal, and also that the only time I've been to that hospital in the past has been when people have been seriously ill, dying or dead. Hence not feeling in a very cheerful mood. But feeling that I couldn't really back out at this point, I went to the bloody place (haha) and was given a yellow paper to read to see if I'd qualify for the next step, i.e. the actual testing of my blood. Turns out, men who have had sex with other men, be it oral or anal, don't qualify as blood donours. Neither do women who in the past six months have had sex with a man who in the past have had sex with other men. Feeling now in a stupid and nervous mood I turned to my mother going "oh, look, are you sure you're actually allowed to donate, have you spoken to dad about this". My poor mother just laughed at this and at my general discomfort whilst I went to get a form to fill out, feeling fairly certain that I'd probably screw up somehow and not have to do this. It was basically pretty straight-forward. They didn't ask me if I'd had sex with men who had sex with men, so I just made some serious presumtions about my former boys only-school husband and ignored it. The form was made up so that the more no-boxes you'd tick the better. I was half hoping that the ones I had to answer yes to (operations, piercings and time spent abroad) would disqualify me, but instead I was lead into a private room with a nurse having to go through all my answers and answer some additional questions she had. It all made me feel really embaressed and uncomfortable. Then she asked if I had any questions for her, so I jumped at the possibility to get an answer to the gay sex-question. Apparently men who engage in same-sex activities are still considered a high risk group for blood diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV/Aids.
"What, even if they live in a monogamous relationship?" I asked, and she said something about sexual behaviour, which - had I been a gay/bi man - would have made me cry. But she also said that who ever will be receiving the blood is counting on it being free from diseases and whatever, so I see their point. But even so. It felt really unfair. Then I had to go to one of the big comfy chairs and sit down whilst the nurse performed a series of test on me. When she got the needle to take a blood sample, I closed my eyes, looked away (double measure here) and whined "shiiiit". She ignored me and said I had good veins or whatever and that it was easy to get blood from me. I had almost started the sentence "yeah, I would've made a brilliant junkie" when I remembered where I was and decided not to. In the end she told me to go home and think about it some more. I said, "no, no, it's alright, I'm just a bit... I mean, I want to give blood, I promise". So well, we'll see. I'm just waiting for a paper now telling me if I'm dying of something or what.