Gay men allowed to donate blood, but only after 12 months of celibacy

THE ban on gay men giving blood is to be relaxed following a review of the current restrictions on making donations in the UK. The lifetime ban on blood donation by men who have had sex with another man was put in place in the UK in the 1980s in response to the spread of Aids and HIV.

This will now be relaxed from 7 November, allowing men who have not had sex with another man in the past 12 months to donate.

But men who have had anal or oral sex with another man within the past year – with or without a condom – will still not be eligible to donate blood.

Campaigners welcomed the move, but some said the 12-month rule was still “unjustified” and “excessive”.

The new advice, which has been accepted by health ministers in Scotland, England and Wales, follows a review by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (Sabto).

Blood services screen all donations for HIV and other infections, but a “window period” remains after infection during which it is not possible to detect the virus. This led to the decision to exclude certain high risk groups, which as well as gay men includes injecting drug users and those who have worked as prostitutes.

But following advances in testing for infections, Sabto has now said that men who have not had homosexual sex within a year should be able to donate if they meet other criteria set for other donors.

Sabto’s advisory panel found it could no longer support the permanent exclusion of men who have had sex with men from donation.

In coming to their decision they considered the risk of infection being transmitted in blood, attitudes of potential donors in complying with the selection criteria and improvements in testing of donated blood.

Professor Deirdre Kelly, from Sabto, said: “Our recommendation takes account of new data that have become available since the last review in 2006, as well as scientific and technological advances in the testing of blood. Adherence to the donor selection criteria is vital to maintain the safety of the blood supply, and donors need to be assured that the criteria are evidence-based. We are confident that this change maintains the safety of the blood supply.”

The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to implement the changes.