"This is just huge," Ethan Spibey, the group's founder, said in an interview with Sky News. The organization Freedom To Donate had pushed for the policies to change. changed that deferral period to 3 months. From 2011 in most of the U.K., gay men were permitted to donate after 12 months of abstinence. had a lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men. "This is a positive step and recognises individuals for the actions they take, rather than their sexual preference."īeginning in 1985, the U.K. "This landmark change to blood donation is safe and it will allow many more people, who have previously been excluded by donor selection criteria, to take the opportunity to help save lives," Matt Hancock said in a statement. health secretary also trumpeted the new policies. We are proud to have the safest blood supply in the world and I'm pleased to have concluded that these new changes to donor selection will keep blood just as safe," she said in a statement. "Patients rely on the generosity and altruism of donors for their lifesaving blood. Su Brailsford, Associate Medical Director at NHS Blood and Transplant and chair of FAIR, said the changes are "just the beginning" of assessing blood donation eligibility in a more individualized way. blood services and LGBT organizations to see if sexual behaviors could be an effective method of assessing individual risk of STIs, which can be transmitted via blood transfusions.įAIR's evidence review found that "people with multiple partners or who have chemsex are the most likely to have blood-borne sexual infections a strong link between HIV and a history of syphilis or gonorrhea and receiving anal sex was identified as the easiest way to acquire a sexual infection from a partner." The changes announced Monday were made on the recommendations of a working group called FAIR (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk), which brought together U.K. "This is a concern because men have higher iron levels, and only men's blood can be used for some transfusions and products," it explained. In January, the public health body set a target to get 26% more male blood donors, noting a significant gender imbalance among donors. The policy change should help an effort by the NHS to get more men to donate blood. "A set of other deferrals will also be introduced for the other higher risk sexual behaviours identified, such as if a person recently had chemsex, and updated for anyone who has had syphilis." "Donors will no longer be asked to declare if they have had sex with another man, making the criteria for blood donation gender neutral and more inclusive," the National Health Service explains. Under the new policy, anyone who has the same sexual partner for more than three months - irrespective of gender or sexuality- will be eligible to donate, so long as there is no known exposure to a sexually-transmitted infection or use of the HIV prophylaxes PreP or PEP. The changes will go into effect in summer 2021. The new rules do away with asking about gender and sexuality, and instead focus on individual behaviors to assess risk. Previously, the government's donor policy dictated that men who have sex with men had to abstain for three months in order to donate. Piyanat Booncharoen / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEmīritain has announced changes that will allow more gay and bixsexual men to donate blood – a major victory for campaigners who had sought changes to the rules they said treated all gay and bi men as posing an increased risk of infection. announced new rules for blood donation that are defined by individual behaviors, rather than sexuality and gender. To learn more about the study and eligibility, click here.Ītlanta Pride is also hosting a blood drive at the end of the month for those who do meet the current requirements.The U.K. It would be a huge sigh of relief for sure." "Each time I’m eligible to donate blood again, I’ll be in there every single time.
Stowell says the day the guidelines change – he’ll be the first in line. "I feel like we have this window of opportunity to hopefully adjust that and get rid of the deferral altogether," said Igarashi-Ball. The Atlanta Pride Committee partnered with the American Red Cross in an aim to get 250 participants in Atlanta, and thousands more in eight other cities across the country with a high LQBTQ population.ĪMERICAN RED CROSS DECLARES A NATIONAL BLOOD CRISIS He’s now one of 75 participants in the study across the Atlanta Metro area. "You can’t actually donate blood unless you’re basically celibate for three months," Stowell said. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Red Cross is experiencing a shortage of blood donations during the pandemic as blood drives have been canceled.