I recently read this Pink News article entitled “Government defends ban on gay men giving blood”.
Ms Primarolo, the Minister of State for Public Health, said:
“Current policy excludes men who have ever had sex with men, whatever their sexual orientation, from blood donation.
“The United Kingdom adopts a highly precautionary approach to blood safety.
“The guiding principle is that if the best available evidence shows that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a course of action will improve the safety of the blood, this action should be taken.
“The Department is committed to regularly reviewing this evidence, and has asked its expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs to do this in 2009.”
(from: Pink News Last accessed: 12th February 09)
So let’s look at the debate For & Against
For
Against
Thinking about it I think the NBS are hiding behind the “safety of the blood” statement. They refuse to recognise that as men who have sex with men are a smaller group and as such their rates of HIV transmittion are always going to be higher than that of a much larger community.
Interesting linka:
Facts missing in HIV-blood debate
NBS – Position Statement
PETER TATCHELL says the ban on gay blood donors is based on homophobic myths that stereotype and demonise gay men.
NUS – LGBT Donation not discrimination
My Telegraph – Mike Rouse
The last link My Telegraph – Mike Rouse, relates to a online petition to the Prime Ministers No. 10 site that I signed (see No. 10 Petitions). A total of 5,234 signatures signed the petition at the time. But I think we didn’t have a massive response as many people in the hetrosexual world are totally unaware of this ban.
This post demonstrates that there aren’t many reasons against why men who have sex with men giving blood, yet there are many reasons for men who have sex with men to give blood.
Just food for thought,
Antony