Gay men will try to give blood Friday to protest federal ban on such donations

They ask about earrings. Do they ask women about their earring piercings, or just guys? I was told I couldn’t donate if I had my ear pierced within the last x years. Do they ask women that?

That’s a state-level rule, and as far as I know, all states treat men and women equally with regard to piercing (but the deferral time varies).

In Illinois, if you got your ear pierced at a licensed place, you can donate (I gave about a month after getting my ear pierced last year. Got it done at the very reputable Piercing Pagoda at a mall).

No, a positive result means that then the individual donations from that batch are tested.