Blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men are being relaxed across the UK, in what the government is calling a 'landmark change'. The new criteria focuses on individual behaviours, lifting a blanket ban for any men who have had sex with men in the last three months.
Under the new rules, men who have sex with men in a long-term relationship will now be able to donate blood at any time. All blood donors who have had one sexual partner and have been with that partner for more than three months will be eligible to donate, regardless of gender, partner's gender, or type of sex.
The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs recommended the changes after examining the latest evidence. If donors have had more than one sexual partner or a new partner in the last three months, they can donate as long as they have not had anal sex, which carries a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock called this a 'positive step' as it recognises individuals for their actions rather than their sexual preference. He said: 'This landmark change to blood donation is safe and it will allow many more people, who have previously been excluded by donor selection criteria, to take the opportunity to help save lives.'
Ethan Spibey, founder of FreedomToDonate, welcomed the announcement, stating: 'Simply being a man who has sex with men is not a good enough reason to exclude someone from donating blood.' Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, added: 'There is certainly more work to do... to ensure that our blood donation service is inclusive, evidence based and both maximises the numbers who can donate while ensuring our blood supply is safe.'
