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Following a two year policy review, Stonewall is putting pressure on the National Blood Service to lift the discriminatory blanket lifetime ban on gay men donating blood.

The National Blood Service refuses donations from men who have had sex with other men, even if they practice safe sex.

There is a 12-month ban for men who have had sex with female prostitutes, women who have had sex with men who have had sex with other men, or people who have had sex in countries with high HIV rates.

“As it stands, a heterosexual person who has consistently put themselves at risk of exposure to HIV is not given the same lifetime ban as that of a gay man, who has had protected sex just once,” says Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill.

“People wanting to donate blood should be asked the same questions – irrespective of their sexual orientation - that accurately and fairly assess their level of risk of infection. The current system fails to do this. Instead, it stigmatises gay men by perpetuating the offensive myth that they cannot be trusted in matters of sexual health.”

“In the course of our policy review, Stonewall has been perplexed by the buck-passing in the NHS on this matter. We’ll be urging ministers to encourage senior health professionals to take this matter seriously and to fall in line with current practices in Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand – none of whom now have a lifetime blanket ban on gay men.”

The Anthony Nolan Trust has recently lifted its ban on bone marrow donations by gay men.

Posted in: Health |