LONDON – Eligibility rules were relaxed across Britain today to allow more gay and bisexual men to donate life-saving blood, platelets, and plasma.
Under the changes, introduced on World Blood Donor Day, individuals will no longer be prevented from donating if they are a man who has sex with other men.
Instead, they will now be asked more tailored questions about their recent sexual behaviour, health and travel, before an individual infection risk assessment is made.
Those who have had the same sexual partner for the last three months will now be eligible to donate, NHS Blood and Transplant said.
NHSBT chief nurse Ella Poppitt said all donations are screened for evidence of significant infections, to ensure safety.
“All donors will now be asked about sexual behaviours which might have increased their risk of infection, particularly recently acquired infections,” she said.
“This means some donors might not be eligible on the day but may be in the future.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is a fantastic step forward in making blood donation easier, fairer, and more inclusive.”
The founder of campaign group FreedomToDonate, Ethan Spibey, said the changes had created “one of the world's most progressive blood donation policies”.
“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. – AFP, June 14, 2021
