This week the Department of Health announced changes to blood donation laws which mean that men who have ever had sex with men are no longer banned from donating blood for life, but may do so when they have not engaged in oral/anal sex for a period of one year.

This is a big change and more LGBT campaign groups are broadly showing their support for these changes.

LGBTory Chairman, Matthew Sephton commented, "We welcome the announcement that the Department of Health is to end the lifetime ban on blood donation by men who have had sex with men. This is a huge step forward and it's great to see such a step being taken by a Conservative-led Government."

"LGBTory has been campaigning against the blanket ban for some time and we are pleased with our success. We said all along that any change in blood donation laws must take into account the best medical evidence available and we are satisfied that this has been done."

"However, it continues to be the case, for example, that those who engage in risky heterosexual sex are able to give blood much more easily than many gay and bisexual men, despite their behaviour. It is for reasons such as this that we are also urging SaBTO to regularly review the blood donation restrictions so that best practice, for the health of all, is assured."

Men in homosexual long term relationships are still effectively banned from blood donation, which they say is another big anomaly.

Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive of THT, commented, “For Terrence Higgins Trust, the safety of the blood supply has always been paramount. As a patient-led, community-based organisation, we stand with other groups supporting those needing blood transfusions, and particularly those needing multiple transfusions, to ensure that their health is secured for the future.

“I understand that patients who need blood transfusions will approach any changes to donor selection criteria with great caution.  It is a great reassurance, then, that the UK Thalasaemia Society and the UK Sickle Cell Society were part of the Steering Group and always focused our work on ensuring that the evidence showed that any change to the rules would be safe for patients.  For Terrence Higgins Trust, it has never been a question of whether or not restrictions should exist; but rather, whether we have the right ones in place.

“Thirty years on from the devastating, tragic and fatal arrival of HIV and AIDS, there has been a growing sense that the lifetime ban on blood donations from gay men was no longer ‘right’. Set against the hundreds of other deferral criteria, this was the one that drew the eye and seemed unfair and unreasonable.  The intensive HIV research effort that has transformed the lives of people with HIV has also led to massive improvements in HIV testing, which, combined with the way blood donations are now screened and processed has meant that the lifetime ban can now be safely reduced.

“I welcome the new rule, which is based on evidence of risk now rather than five, ten or twenty five years ago. The 12 month deferral will bring men who have sex with men in line with the year long deferral which applies to other behaviours which have an increased risk of acquiring a blood-borne virus. These rules are necessary, fair, and reasonable.

“Like most gay men, I will still be unable to donate blood under the new rule.  But there many are other things I can do to support the blood service – in particular, encouraging my friends, family and colleagues who can give blood to do so.  I can also be proud of adhering to the rule, knowing that this will ensure the continuing safety of the blood supply in the UK and the health of all those who rely on it.

“And finally, THT will continue to promote safer sex and work to improve the sexual health of gay men to a point where we are at no greater risk of HIV or poor sexual health than the rest of the population.”

NUS LGBT Officers, Vicki Baars and Alan Bailey, added, “Ending the lifetime ban has been a key objective of the NUS LGBT campaign and we welcome the Government’s action on this. Donating blood is aresponsibility - one in which low risk men who sleep with menshould be able to exercise without fear of prejudice or discrimination.”

“We are disappointed that the Government has chosen not to publish research to support its decision to introduce a 1 year deferral for men who sleep with men donating blood. It is absolutely critical that organisations such as NUS working together with the LGBT community have the opportunity to look at and properly analyse the research used to justify the deferral period.”

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