Australian LGBTIQ+ advocacy group just.equal have welcomed the UK’s decision to lift the ban on gay and bi+ male blood donors, and call for action at home.
This week the UK Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs made the recommendation that all donors be assessed for individual risk, rather than exclude gay/bi men who are sexually active.
just.equal spokesperson Rodney Croome says the UK policy will mean safer, more plentiful and less discriminatory blood donation.
“The science is clear that screening donors on the basis of the safety of their sexual activity rather than the gender of their sexual partner will increase the safety of the blood supply and ensure more blood is collected.”
“We call on Australian blood collection authorities to move to a new policy of individual screening.”
The new policy will be adopted in the UK in mid 2021, and all donors in a relationship for three months can donate. If donors have had more than one sexual partner or a new partner in the last three months they can donate as long as they have not had anal sex.
“The caveat for anal sex is regrettable because the focus of blood screening policies should be on whether sex is safe, not what kind of sex it is,” Croome continued.
“Since the advent of HIV, health authorities have said safe sex is sufficient to protect the health of gay and bisexual men, so it inconsistent to now say it is insufficient to protect the safety of the blood supply.”
The current Australian ban applies to all sexually-active gay and bisexual men, as well as transgender women who have sex with men. Earlier this year it was announced that Australia would move from a twelve month celibacy period for potential gay, bi & trans donors to a three month celibacy period.
This proposed policy has yet to be implemented, meaning Australia is now two steps behind the UK, which will abandon its three month celibacy period in favour of the new policy.
OIP Staff
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