Gay men can donate blood as health experts lift controversial ban

Rule dating back to emergence of HIV and Aids no longer deemed necessary but one-year deferral still applies Gay men will soon be able to give blood after a ban on them donating, dating back to the emergence of HIV and Aids in the mid-1980s, was scrapped by ministers. The ban, which permanently prevented gay men from being donors, was lifted after a team of experts said it was no longer required to stop the spread of infection through blood. The change – agreed by health ministers in England, Scotland and Wales – means gay men who have not had sex with another man for at least a year can donate from 7 November, as long as they have not taken part in other behaviour that might constitute a risk to patients receiving blood. However, those who have had anal or oral sex with another man in the preceding 12 months, with or without a condom, will remain ineligible to join the 2 million people who already donate blood. They have been put into the same category of risk as other groups such as sex workers, anyone who has had sex with a sex worker or intravenous drug-user in the past year, and women who have slept with a man who has had sex with another male. The decision follows a review by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (Sabto), which concluded that the latest evidence suggested the ban was no longer justified. The controversial rule had long been criticised as outdated and discriminatory. Organisations representing gay men and working with those with HIV or Aids welcomed the decision. “The removal of the ban to a one-year deferral is great news but it’s going to leave some gay men frustrated that they still can’t donate blood,” said Carl Burnell, chief executive of the gay men’s health group GMFA. Anne Milton, the public health minister, said it was important that everyone complied with the donor selection criteria. The Terence Higgins Trust also welcomed the change. “Thirty years on from the devastating, tragic and fatal arrival of HIV and AIDS there has been a growing sense that the lifetime ban was no longer ‘right’,” said Sir Nick Partridge, the chief executive. “Set against the hundreds of other deferral criteria, this was the one that drew the eye and seemed unfair and unreasonable.” The new regulations “will ensure the safety of the blood supply for all of us while also being fair and equal in their application”, he added. But veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said gay men who always used condoms should not be barred from donating. “Although the new policy is a big improvement on the existing discriminatory rules, a 12-month ban is still excessive and unjustified,” he said. Sabto member Professor Deirdre Kelly said the recommendation took account of new data that had emerged since the body’s last review in 2006, as well as scientific and technological advances. Gay rights Health Equality Denis Campbell guardian.co.uk

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