Can gay men donate blood in uk
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It said the government had retained a "discriminatory question" which would act as a "significant barrier" to getting more black people to give blood.Ī three-month deferral period will remain in place for anyone who has "a partner who has, or you think may have been, sexually active in parts of the world where HIV/AIDS is very common", referencing "most countries in Africa". The Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity, said the changes were "much-needed" but did not go far enough. In addition to the United States, several other countries still have lifetime bans against gay blood donors in place, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway. "We now want to see other exclusionary criteria urgently reviewed so donors are asked questions that successfully identify higher risk, without unnecessarily excluding people or groups," she added. The chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, Deborah Gold, said it meant "more gay and bisexual men can donate blood safely" but it was only a first step. "This is more than just about a fairer and more inclusive system, it's about those who rely on blood, and giving blood literally saves lives," he added. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) will ensure there is information available for donors to explain the reasons for the changes, and to give reassurance that all information provided by donors is kept strictly in confidence.The founder of campaign group FreedomToDonate, Ethan Spibey, said the changes had created "one of the world's most progressive blood donation policies". Canadian Blood Services has expanded plasma donation eligibility at its donor centres in Calgary and London, Ont., marking a small step forward in the promise to. The changes follow recommendations by the specialist steering group for Assessment of Individualised Risk (FAIR), made up of leading medical and academic experts and LGBTI+ groups. The UK Department of Health guidelines on blood donation currently state that men who have sex with men are ineligible to.
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Instead, each person will be given a more individual risk assessment, which will involve all potential donors being asked a few additional questions about their sexual behaviour. UK’s gay blood ban could be replaced with individual risk assessments. The Government has announced changes to blood donation rules with a move to individualised risk assessments for all potential donors. New recommendations, which the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) is satisfied will continue to ensure blood safety, mean men will no longer be automatically barred from giving blood if they have had sex with another man in the last three months. 14 December 2020 Press release Men who have sex with men in a long-term relationship will soon be able to donate blood in the UK. Getty Images Restrictions related to potential coronavirus exposure requiring that people wait 30 days if they have been in close contact with people suspected of having a COVID-19 infection or who have traveled to a hot spot have further limited donors. Currently, men are not able to donate blood in the UK if they have had sex with another man in the past three months, in-line with previous expert advice. Blood donations from gay and bisexual men are limited to donors who have abstained from sex for a year. We’re delighted the changes have been brought in as we participated in the FAIR steering group which made these recommendations. Changes to the questions asked of blood donors will ensure more gay and bisexual men are able to donate blood in the future. Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of National AIDS Trust, said: We welcome the changes today meaning more gay and bisexual men can donate blood safely because of a more individualised assessment of risk.