Do blood donations to the Red Cross look for HIV in the blood?

And if they do, and it is found, they would alert me correct? I would be prevented from future donations?

Yes, yes and yes.

The Red Cross tests blood for blood borne diseases...HIV is only one of them.

If you test positive for anything that they test for, you would be notified and advised to seek further testing. if you cannot be reached by phone, you would receive the famous "blue letter".

You would be permanently deferred from giving blood again.

Extensive testing is one way they can keep the blood supply safe. However, nothing is 100% and sometimes a tainted unit might slip through the cracks. That is why you should never attempt to give blood just to get the testing. If you do that, you are putting other lives at risk.

If you believe you might have been exposed to a blood borne disease, see your own doctor for testing and screening. That's what I did when I had a hepatitis C exposure a year ago (I'm a healthcare professional). I can never give blood again.

EMT

Yes they do. And they probably would alert you. Donating to the Red Cross is not a way to get tested for HIV. Please do the responsible thing and get tested. Planned Parenthood does the test for 30 dollars. You can pay for it in cash without worrying your insurance company, or parents (if you are underage) will find out.
Yes, yes, and yes. They screen very heavily for STDs, they will tell you if you have an STD and will not accept your blood, and you will never be able to donate. Nobody wants to contract HIV.
yes, they check for several diseases and they will notify you with certified mail, and you will be the only one able to sign for it.. after that if you go to the dr and get checked a few times if it all comes back negitive they will let you give blood again.. but if it is positive, you will never be able to give blood again... just dont use this as a way to get a free hiv test... if you are positive, it might not show up and you can affect someone else!!
Yes they do.
Why don't you just go get checked for it at the Health Dept if you think you may have it?
Your putting other people at risk if you don't know.
Yes. The Red Cross does screen all blood donations for HIV/Aids, all the Hepatitis as well as many other STD strains, etc.
And yes again. If your donated blood was tainted with any form of STD the Red Cross would notify you immediately and you would be requested to have further testing done to be positive that the first screening was accurate; untill further testing was done on your blood you would be asked to refrain from any further donations.
And (I pray you do not have any STD's) if your blood tested positive for HIV then you would most definitely be requested NOT to donate blood at any time anywhere.
Any tainted blood that you had donated would be incinerated.
I had donated blood a few years ago and was asked not to donate again and required to give another sample as a patient had received several pints of blood, mine being one of them, and that patient had contracted Hep C. I was relieved to find that my blood was NOT the tainted one; however, until the next set of screening was complete, I refrained from donating my blood.
I am also a volunteer and associate member of BCPWA (British Columbian Persons With Aids). I've taken numerous courses on this topic including how blood is screened for such virus'. Good luck and God Bless, and if you should be a carrier of the HIV, it is NOT the end of the world for you or other carriers or Aids victims.