Should Atralia end rtrictns on gay and bisexual men donatg blood? | Health | The Guardian

Contents:

• RISHI SUNAK APOLOGIS TO LGBT VETERANS FOR PAST ARMED FORC GAY BAN
• PM'S APOLOGY FOR PAST GAY BAN WELED BY SHROPSHIRE VETERAN
• NEW ATRALIAN BLOOD DONATN L FOR GAY MEN DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH, ADVOT SAY
• WHY LGBTIQ+ ADVOT WANT ATRALIA'S 'GAY BLOOD BAN' TO ATRALIA IS PHG FOR AN END TO ATRALIA'S "GAY BLOOD BAN" FAVOUR OF A "MORE EQUABLE APPROACH" OF DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS.THOMAS BUXERE IS A GAY MAN WH A PARTNER OF 11 YEARS, AND N'T DONATE BLOOD UNR ATRALIA'S CURRENT L. SOURCE: SUPPLIED/THOMAS BUXEREWHEN THOMAS BUXERE HEARD THAT ATRALIA’S BLOOD SUPPLI WERE NNG LOW DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANMIC, HE WAS READY TO ROLL UP HIS SLEEVE AND HELP BY TAKG PART A BLOOD DONATN DRIVE AT HIS WORK.TO HIS DISAPPOTMENT, HE FOUND THAT AS A GAY MAN HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO GIVE BLOOD DUE TO THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE’S POLICY REQUIRG "MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN" TO ABSTA OM SEXUAL ACTIVY FOR THREE MONTHS BEFORE DONATG. WHILE MR BUXERE HAD BEEN BLOCKED OM DONATG BLOOD THE PAST DUE TO HIS SEXUALY, HE HAD CID TO CHECK HIS ELIGIBILY AGA ON THE RED CROSS WEBSE LIGHT OF THE PANMIC’S H TO THE BLOOD SUPPLY, HOPG THAT THE L HAD CHANGED. “I WAS ALMOST PLEASANTLY SURPRISED IALLY … THEY'VE GOT THIS REALLY NICE ELIGIBILY CHECKER THAT GO THROUGH A WHOLE RANGE OF QUTNS, FELT MORE MORN AND MORE APPROPRIATE. THEN I GOT TO THE SAME QUTN WHICH ASKED ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEXUAL PRACTIC," HE TOLD SBS NEWS. "AS A RULT, WAS AN IMMEDIATE ‘NO’. THERE WAS NO DIALOGUE … DIDN'T ASK ME WHETHER I'D TAKEN PART ANY RISKY BEHAVUR OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT. IT WAS JT, YOU KNOW, A RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A MAN, AND THAT'S , DONE. END OF STORY.” BEG BARRED OM DONATG BLOOD “MA ME FEEL HORRIBLE … LIKE WAS PURELY DISCRIMATN," THOMAS BUXERE SAID. SOURCE: AAPWHILE A RECENT CHANGE LIFEBLOOD’S POLICY RCED THE FERRAL PERD OM 12 MONTHS TO THREE MONTHS, MR BUXERE SAID HE STILL FEELS NEEDLSLY DISCRIMATED AGAST.  “IT MA ME FEEL HORRIBLE … LIKE WAS PURELY DISCRIMATN … THERE WAS NO SUBSTANCE, THERE WAS NO SCIENCE,” HE SAID. “THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A GAY MALE JT BANS YOU FOR THREE MONTHS ... REGARDLS OF WHETHER YOU ENGAGE SAFE SEX."A LABEL WAS PUT ON, AND AS A RULT, WAS THE END, THE END OF THE NVERSATN.”MR BUXERE WAS TRATED THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DONATE LIFE-SAVG BLOOD TO HELP THE MUNY A TIME OF NEED. “THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT N BENEF OM MY BLOOD DONATN. AND DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AS A NATN, WHY WOULD YOU PREVENT SOMEONE WHO N HELP SOMEONE WHO'S GOT SAFE BLOOD? I DIDN'T GET THAT. I STILL DON'T GET THAT.”CAMPAIGN TO END 'GAY BLOOD BAN'LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS ADVOTE RODNEY CROOME HAS BEEN MPAIGNG FOR AN END TO THE “GAY BLOOD BAN” FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS."THE CURRENT BAN ON GAY BLOOD DONATN EFFECTIVELY SENDS A MSAGE THAT GAY MEN ARE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THAT'S NO LONGER AN APPROPRIATE MSAGE TO SEND, IF EVER WAS, ATRALIAN SOCIETY," MR CROOME TOLD SBS NEWS.HE IS VOLVED A NEW PETN OM ATRALIA, A NATNAL LOBBY AND ADVOCY GROUP REPRENTG THE TERTS AND PRRI OF THE LGBTIQ+ MUNY, TLED 'MEDIL SCIENCE AND TERNATNAL EXPERIENCE SHOW OUR BLOOD IS SAFE'. READ MORERELAXED RTRICTNS ON LGBTIQ+ BLOOD DONORS AMID RONAVIS PANMIC NOT ENOUGH, ADVOT SAYTHE PETN LLS ON THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE AND THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN "TO STUTE A NEW DONOR POLICY THAT SCREENS POTENTIAL DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL RISK, NOT THE GENR OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER”. “THE CURRENT POLICY, IMPOSG AN ABSTENCE PERD ON GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND GENR NON-NFORMG ATRALIANS WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN, LIMS THE SUPPLY OF SAFE BLOOD, AND STIGMATIS GAY, BI, TRANS AND NON-BARY PEOPLE AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH,” READS. “OUR PETN AIMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT ATRALIA IS IGNORG TERNATNAL REARCH AND BT PRACTICE WHEN TO A SAFE AND FAIR BLOOD SUPPLY,” MR CROOME SAID.  LIFEBLOOD'S CURRENT "FERRAL" POLICY IS STIGMATISG AND DISCRIMATORY, HE SAID.  “THE CURRENT POLICY OF BANNG ALL MEN AND TRANS WOMEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN OM BLOOD DONATN IS OBVLY DISCRIMATORY BEE BANS AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE OM PROVIDG AN SENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE. “BUT WORSE THAN THAT, STIGMATIS ALL GAY, BI AND TRANS PEOPLE AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH.”  ATRALIA 'FALLG BEHD'THE PETN FOLLOWS A REPORT MISSNED BY ATRALIA THAT REVIEWS CURRENT DATA AND MOLLG AND PAR BANS ON GAY BLOOD DONATN, SUCH AS ATRALIA'S, WH A POLICY OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL RISK. “ATRALIA, TERTGLY ENOUGH, WAS THE FIRST UNTRY TO REMOVE A LIFETIME BAN ON DONATNS OM PEOPLE WHO ARE EMED TO BE ‘MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN’, AND OTHER UNTRI THEN FOLLOWED SU,” REPORT THOR DR SHARON DANE TOLD SBS NEWS. DR SHARON DANE SAYS THE LATT REARCH SHOWS THE BLOOD BAN IS UNNECSARY. SOURCE: SBS NEWSHOWEVER, THE NATN IS NOW “FALLG BEHD”, SHE SAID, AS OTHER UNTRI CLUDG THE UNED KGDOM HAVE MOVED AWAY OM A POLICY OF A “FERRAL PERD” FAVOUR OF A “MORE EQUABLE APPROACH, WHICH IS THAT EVERYONE, IRRPECTIVE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, THEIR GENR OR THEIR PARTNER'S GENR, IS ASKED TO DO WHAT YOU LL AN DIVIDUAL ASSSMENT”. “SO THE RISK IS BASED ON YOUR SEXUAL BEHAVUR, RATHER THAN THE GROUP OF PEOPLE YOU BELONG TO. SO THIS STANCE, WHILE ATRALIA WAS A LEAR IALLY, IS NOW FALLG BEHD OTHERS.”THE LATT TERNATNAL REARCH SHOWS THERE IS NO MEANGFUL RISK ATTACHED TO LIFTG THE CURRENT ABSTENCE REQUIREMENT FOR BLOOD DONATN BY MEN, AND TRANS WOMEN, WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN, AND REPLACG WH A NEW POLICY OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL SEXUAL SAFETY, DR DANE SAID.  "MOLLG SUGGTS THIS WOULD ACTUALLY CREASE THE AMOUNT OF SAFE BLOOD AVAILABLE TO THOSE NEED OF BLOOD PRODUCTS." INDIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS REJECTEDLIFEBLOOD TOLD SBS NEWS THAT DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS ARE “NOT THE SAFT APPROACH AT THIS TIME” ATRALIA. “IN ATRALIA, A MAN HAS TO WA UNTIL THREE MONTHS AFTER THEIR LAST SEXUAL NTACT WH ANOTHER MAN BEFORE THEY N DONATE BLOOD. THIS IS BEE THE LATT ATRALIAN DATA SHOWS THERE'S STILL A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF NEWLY ACQUIRED HIV FECTNS AMONGST MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN,” A LIFEBLOOD SPOKPERSON SAID.READ MORERED CROSS LLS FOR THOANDS OF NEW BLOOD DONORS TO AVOID AN ATRALIA-WI HOLIDAY SHORTAGE“WHILE WE TT ALL BLOOD DONATNS, EVEN THE VERY BT TTG [WHICH LIFEBLOOD ] N’T ALWAYS PICK UP EARLY FECTNS. SO, WE ASK PEOPLE TO WA BEFORE DONATG SO WE N ENSURE RECIPIENTS OF BLOOD ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE OM LIFE-CHANGG FECTNS LIKE HIV.“WE NSIRED DIVIDUAL ASSSMENTS AS PART OF OUR RECENT REVIEW, BUT THEY REQUIRE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTN OF NEW HIV FECTNS ACROSS A UNTRY’S WHOLE POPULATN.” LIFEBLOOD TOLD SBS NEWS WOULD “NTUE TO MONOR AND REVIEW THE EVINCE RELATN TO DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT” AND THAT THE ANISATN IS “EXPLORG OTHER PATHWAYS TO BROAN DONOR ELIGIBILY AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE THE NEAR FUTURE”.THE PANMIC HAS SEEN BLOOD SUPPLI TAKE A H. SOURCE: RED CROSS LIFEBLOODMR CROOME SAID THAT WHILE IS “TE THE MAJORY OF NEW HIV FECTNS ARE AMONG GAY MEN” WHAT LIFEBLOOD “FAILS TO NOTE IS THAT THE OVERWHELMG MAJORY OF GAY MEN DO NOT HAVE, AND WILL NEVER HAVE HIV, BEE THEY HAVE SAFE SEX AND/OR THEY ARE MONOGAMO”.“THIS IS PRECISELY THE DISTCTN THAT DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT IS SIGNED TO DRAW, BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE SAFE TO GIVE BLOOD AND THOSE WHO AREN’T, BY ASKG ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVY THAT ACTUALLY RISK,” HE SAID. “THAT DISTCTN APPLI EQUALLY TO HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT ONLY BE AT RISK OF NTRACTG AND PASSG ON HIV BUT ALSO OTHER BLOOD-BORNE DISEAS.”  IS TERTED TO TALK TO THE RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE ABOUT THE OPTNS IS NSIRG, BUT BELIEV THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE A SAFER, LS DISCRIMATORY BLOOD SUPPLY IS DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT, MR CROOME SAID.AN ATRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD DONOR CENTRE. SOURCE: ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOODTGA TOLD SBS NEWS WAS “AWARE OF THE PETN AND IS REVIEWG THE REPORT MISSNED BY ;.  “THE TGA UNRSTANDS LIFEBLOOD CURRENTLY NSIRS THAT [THE] DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT APPROACH IS NOT THE SAFT APPROACH AT THIS TIME ATRALIA.  THIS IS DUE TO AN UNEVEN DISTRIBUTN OF NEW HIV FECTNS ACROSS THE ATRALIAN POPULATN,” A TGA SPOKPERSON SAID. “LIFEBLOOD ARE EXPLORG OTHER PATHWAYS TO BROAN DONOR ELIGIBILY. THE TGA WILL NSIR ANY SUBMISSN OM A SPONSOR TO CHANGE S APPROACH TO THE FERRAL PERD, BASED ON DATA TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY OF SUCH A CHANGE.”SHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 29 OCTOBER 2021 7:13AMUPDATED 29 APRIL 2022 6:44AMBY ISABELLE LANESOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSATRALIAATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS
• SHOULD ATRALIA END RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD?

RISHI SUNAK APOLOGIS TO LGBT VETERANS FOR PAST ARMED FORC GAY BAN

Rightwg activist Bernard Gaynor applied to the board earlier this year to review the classifitn of Genr Queer by non-bary wrer Maia Kobabe, a graphic novel-style memoir about genr ’s ph follows the footsteps of nservative activists the US, who have shown up drov to school meetgs and mand the book removed om the US, Genr Queer is the most challenged book librari.

However, Gaynor and his supporters appealed agast the cisn and the board sought submissns on the classifitn om the an opn released on Thursday, the review board said Genr Queer warranted to keep this classifitn bee “the ntent of the publitn is jtified ntext, is appropriate for s tend dience of people who are terted the thor or terted the subjects of genr inty and asexualy, and has a posive tone and character as well as many layers of posive msagg” review board found the pictns of sex and nudy the book were jtified the ntext of a nonfictn memoir scribg the thor’s lived board noted that the M ratg would advise the public that the book may offend some sectns of the adult muny and may not be suable for younger the review, the board was flood wh more than 500 submissns both for and agast the book, forcg to lay makg a cisn for several more weeks until Thursday. “The book is highly pornographic, ” Gaynor told Ne March. ”Gaynor said on Friday he was seekg legal advice on the week Big W removed om shelv the sale of Wele To Sex, a sex tn and nsent book aimed at adolcents, after a social media mpaign agast the book led to staff beg abed attempted boytt of the book has rulted a boom sal and has subsequently sold out on former US print Barack Obama this week labelled ph to ban books om librari by the Amerin right as “profoundly misguid”.

“As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ” Sunak told MP.

PM'S APOLOGY FOR PAST GAY BAN WELED BY SHROPSHIRE VETERAN

Promisg the ernment would implement the “vast majory” of Etherton’s remendatns, Wallace said he would fully update the Commons a formal bate about the issue after the about pensatn, Wallace said he hoped to fd “an elegant solutn that match the need and the requirements of those dividuals”, promisg to set this out after Kelly Holm, who served the army and me out as gay last year, was among mpaigners who weled the apology. Starmer said one of his nstuents, Ken Wright, a former RAF service member who was “forced to leave the job he loved simply bee he was gay”, was the public gallery to hear the apology.

Image source, Emma RileyImage ptn, Rad operator Emma Riley was discharged om the Navy for beg a lbian the 1990sRishi Sunak has apologised for the historil treatment of LGBT veterans who were sacked or forced out of the ary for beg PM lled the ban an "appallg failure" of the Brish was illegal to be gay the Brish ary until 2000 - wh thoands of veterans thought to be affected. Addrsg MPs, the prime mister said: "Many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment all while bravely servg this untry.

NEW ATRALIAN BLOOD DONATN L FOR GAY MEN DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH, ADVOT SAY

"The LGBT Veterans Inpennt Review, led by Bra's first openly gay judge Lord Etherton, began last year and heard about the experienc of 1, 145 veterans between 1967 to 2000. Homosexualy was crimalised the UK 1967 but a ban ntued the armed forc.

Acrdg to the report, the Mistry of Defence said at the time that jtifitn for the policy clud "matenance of operatnal effectivens and efficiency" - but the report said there had been an "prehensible policy of homophobic bigotry" the armed forc. It heard shockg acunts of homophobia, bullyg, blackmail, sexual asslts, "disgraceful" medil examatns, and nversn mak 49 remendatns to the ernment cludg:Affected veterans to be given an "appropriate fancial reward" pped at £50m overallThe rtoratn of medals that had to be hand back on dismissal or dischargeThe clarifitn of pensn rights The prentatn of a special veterans' badgeThe ernment said would rpond full after summer of the veterans affected watched the PM's public of them, Emma Riley, 51, was a Royal Navy rad operator for three years before she was arrted and discharged for beg a lbian after tellg a lleague her sexualy the early told BBC News she weled the report, and hoped would be put to place "swiftly.

Carol Man, who was dismissed after tellg her boss she was gay 1978, kept her sexualy secret for another 30 years and said she had been "robbed" of her life.

WHY LGBTIQ+ ADVOT WANT ATRALIA'S 'GAY BLOOD BAN' TO ATRALIA IS PHG FOR AN END TO ATRALIA'S "GAY BLOOD BAN" FAVOUR OF A "MORE EQUABLE APPROACH" OF DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS.THOMAS BUXERE IS A GAY MAN WH A PARTNER OF 11 YEARS, AND N'T DONATE BLOOD UNR ATRALIA'S CURRENT L. SOURCE: SUPPLIED/THOMAS BUXEREWHEN THOMAS BUXERE HEARD THAT ATRALIA’S BLOOD SUPPLI WERE NNG LOW DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANMIC, HE WAS READY TO ROLL UP HIS SLEEVE AND HELP BY TAKG PART A BLOOD DONATN DRIVE AT HIS WORK.TO HIS DISAPPOTMENT, HE FOUND THAT AS A GAY MAN HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO GIVE BLOOD DUE TO THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE’S POLICY REQUIRG "MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN" TO ABSTA OM SEXUAL ACTIVY FOR THREE MONTHS BEFORE DONATG. WHILE MR BUXERE HAD BEEN BLOCKED OM DONATG BLOOD THE PAST DUE TO HIS SEXUALY, HE HAD CID TO CHECK HIS ELIGIBILY AGA ON THE RED CROSS WEBSE LIGHT OF THE PANMIC’S H TO THE BLOOD SUPPLY, HOPG THAT THE L HAD CHANGED. “I WAS ALMOST PLEASANTLY SURPRISED IALLY … THEY'VE GOT THIS REALLY NICE ELIGIBILY CHECKER THAT GO THROUGH A WHOLE RANGE OF QUTNS, FELT MORE MORN AND MORE APPROPRIATE. THEN I GOT TO THE SAME QUTN WHICH ASKED ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEXUAL PRACTIC," HE TOLD SBS NEWS. "AS A RULT, WAS AN IMMEDIATE ‘NO’. THERE WAS NO DIALOGUE … DIDN'T ASK ME WHETHER I'D TAKEN PART ANY RISKY BEHAVUR OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT. IT WAS JT, YOU KNOW, A RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A MAN AND A MAN, AND THAT'S , DONE. END OF STORY.” BEG BARRED OM DONATG BLOOD “MA ME FEEL HORRIBLE … LIKE WAS PURELY DISCRIMATN," THOMAS BUXERE SAID. SOURCE: AAPWHILE A RECENT CHANGE LIFEBLOOD’S POLICY RCED THE FERRAL PERD OM 12 MONTHS TO THREE MONTHS, MR BUXERE SAID HE STILL FEELS NEEDLSLY DISCRIMATED AGAST.  “IT MA ME FEEL HORRIBLE … LIKE WAS PURELY DISCRIMATN … THERE WAS NO SUBSTANCE, THERE WAS NO SCIENCE,” HE SAID. “THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A GAY MALE JT BANS YOU FOR THREE MONTHS ... REGARDLS OF WHETHER YOU ENGAGE SAFE SEX."A LABEL WAS PUT ON, AND AS A RULT, WAS THE END, THE END OF THE NVERSATN.”MR BUXERE WAS TRATED THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DONATE LIFE-SAVG BLOOD TO HELP THE MUNY A TIME OF NEED. “THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT N BENEF OM MY BLOOD DONATN. AND DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AS A NATN, WHY WOULD YOU PREVENT SOMEONE WHO N HELP SOMEONE WHO'S GOT SAFE BLOOD? I DIDN'T GET THAT. I STILL DON'T GET THAT.”CAMPAIGN TO END 'GAY BLOOD BAN'LGBTIQ+ RIGHTS ADVOTE RODNEY CROOME HAS BEEN MPAIGNG FOR AN END TO THE “GAY BLOOD BAN” FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS."THE CURRENT BAN ON GAY BLOOD DONATN EFFECTIVELY SENDS A MSAGE THAT GAY MEN ARE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THAT'S NO LONGER AN APPROPRIATE MSAGE TO SEND, IF EVER WAS, ATRALIAN SOCIETY," MR CROOME TOLD SBS NEWS.HE IS VOLVED A NEW PETN OM ATRALIA, A NATNAL LOBBY AND ADVOCY GROUP REPRENTG THE TERTS AND PRRI OF THE LGBTIQ+ MUNY, TLED 'MEDIL SCIENCE AND TERNATNAL EXPERIENCE SHOW OUR BLOOD IS SAFE'. READ MORERELAXED RTRICTNS ON LGBTIQ+ BLOOD DONORS AMID RONAVIS PANMIC NOT ENOUGH, ADVOT SAYTHE PETN LLS ON THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE AND THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN "TO STUTE A NEW DONOR POLICY THAT SCREENS POTENTIAL DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL RISK, NOT THE GENR OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER”. “THE CURRENT POLICY, IMPOSG AN ABSTENCE PERD ON GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND GENR NON-NFORMG ATRALIANS WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN, LIMS THE SUPPLY OF SAFE BLOOD, AND STIGMATIS GAY, BI, TRANS AND NON-BARY PEOPLE AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH,” READS. “OUR PETN AIMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT ATRALIA IS IGNORG TERNATNAL REARCH AND BT PRACTICE WHEN TO A SAFE AND FAIR BLOOD SUPPLY,” MR CROOME SAID.  LIFEBLOOD'S CURRENT "FERRAL" POLICY IS STIGMATISG AND DISCRIMATORY, HE SAID.  “THE CURRENT POLICY OF BANNG ALL MEN AND TRANS WOMEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN OM BLOOD DONATN IS OBVLY DISCRIMATORY BEE BANS AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE OM PROVIDG AN SENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE. “BUT WORSE THAN THAT, STIGMATIS ALL GAY, BI AND TRANS PEOPLE AS A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH.”  ATRALIA 'FALLG BEHD'THE PETN FOLLOWS A REPORT MISSNED BY ATRALIA THAT REVIEWS CURRENT DATA AND MOLLG AND PAR BANS ON GAY BLOOD DONATN, SUCH AS ATRALIA'S, WH A POLICY OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL RISK. “ATRALIA, TERTGLY ENOUGH, WAS THE FIRST UNTRY TO REMOVE A LIFETIME BAN ON DONATNS OM PEOPLE WHO ARE EMED TO BE ‘MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN’, AND OTHER UNTRI THEN FOLLOWED SU,” REPORT THOR DR SHARON DANE TOLD SBS NEWS. DR SHARON DANE SAYS THE LATT REARCH SHOWS THE BLOOD BAN IS UNNECSARY. SOURCE: SBS NEWSHOWEVER, THE NATN IS NOW “FALLG BEHD”, SHE SAID, AS OTHER UNTRI CLUDG THE UNED KGDOM HAVE MOVED AWAY OM A POLICY OF A “FERRAL PERD” FAVOUR OF A “MORE EQUABLE APPROACH, WHICH IS THAT EVERYONE, IRRPECTIVE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, THEIR GENR OR THEIR PARTNER'S GENR, IS ASKED TO DO WHAT YOU LL AN DIVIDUAL ASSSMENT”. “SO THE RISK IS BASED ON YOUR SEXUAL BEHAVUR, RATHER THAN THE GROUP OF PEOPLE YOU BELONG TO. SO THIS STANCE, WHILE ATRALIA WAS A LEAR IALLY, IS NOW FALLG BEHD OTHERS.”THE LATT TERNATNAL REARCH SHOWS THERE IS NO MEANGFUL RISK ATTACHED TO LIFTG THE CURRENT ABSTENCE REQUIREMENT FOR BLOOD DONATN BY MEN, AND TRANS WOMEN, WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN, AND REPLACG WH A NEW POLICY OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THEIR DIVIDUAL SEXUAL SAFETY, DR DANE SAID.  "MOLLG SUGGTS THIS WOULD ACTUALLY CREASE THE AMOUNT OF SAFE BLOOD AVAILABLE TO THOSE NEED OF BLOOD PRODUCTS." INDIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS REJECTEDLIFEBLOOD TOLD SBS NEWS THAT DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENTS ARE “NOT THE SAFT APPROACH AT THIS TIME” ATRALIA. “IN ATRALIA, A MAN HAS TO WA UNTIL THREE MONTHS AFTER THEIR LAST SEXUAL NTACT WH ANOTHER MAN BEFORE THEY N DONATE BLOOD. THIS IS BEE THE LATT ATRALIAN DATA SHOWS THERE'S STILL A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF NEWLY ACQUIRED HIV FECTNS AMONGST MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN,” A LIFEBLOOD SPOKPERSON SAID.READ MORERED CROSS LLS FOR THOANDS OF NEW BLOOD DONORS TO AVOID AN ATRALIA-WI HOLIDAY SHORTAGE“WHILE WE TT ALL BLOOD DONATNS, EVEN THE VERY BT TTG [WHICH LIFEBLOOD ] N’T ALWAYS PICK UP EARLY FECTNS. SO, WE ASK PEOPLE TO WA BEFORE DONATG SO WE N ENSURE RECIPIENTS OF BLOOD ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE OM LIFE-CHANGG FECTNS LIKE HIV.“WE NSIRED DIVIDUAL ASSSMENTS AS PART OF OUR RECENT REVIEW, BUT THEY REQUIRE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTN OF NEW HIV FECTNS ACROSS A UNTRY’S WHOLE POPULATN.” LIFEBLOOD TOLD SBS NEWS WOULD “NTUE TO MONOR AND REVIEW THE EVINCE RELATN TO DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT” AND THAT THE ANISATN IS “EXPLORG OTHER PATHWAYS TO BROAN DONOR ELIGIBILY AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE THE NEAR FUTURE”.THE PANMIC HAS SEEN BLOOD SUPPLI TAKE A H. SOURCE: RED CROSS LIFEBLOODMR CROOME SAID THAT WHILE IS “TE THE MAJORY OF NEW HIV FECTNS ARE AMONG GAY MEN” WHAT LIFEBLOOD “FAILS TO NOTE IS THAT THE OVERWHELMG MAJORY OF GAY MEN DO NOT HAVE, AND WILL NEVER HAVE HIV, BEE THEY HAVE SAFE SEX AND/OR THEY ARE MONOGAMO”.“THIS IS PRECISELY THE DISTCTN THAT DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT IS SIGNED TO DRAW, BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE SAFE TO GIVE BLOOD AND THOSE WHO AREN’T, BY ASKG ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVY THAT ACTUALLY RISK,” HE SAID. “THAT DISTCTN APPLI EQUALLY TO HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT ONLY BE AT RISK OF NTRACTG AND PASSG ON HIV BUT ALSO OTHER BLOOD-BORNE DISEAS.”  IS TERTED TO TALK TO THE RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD SERVICE ABOUT THE OPTNS IS NSIRG, BUT BELIEV THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE A SAFER, LS DISCRIMATORY BLOOD SUPPLY IS DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT, MR CROOME SAID.AN ATRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD DONOR CENTRE. SOURCE: ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOODTGA TOLD SBS NEWS WAS “AWARE OF THE PETN AND IS REVIEWG THE REPORT MISSNED BY ;.  “THE TGA UNRSTANDS LIFEBLOOD CURRENTLY NSIRS THAT [THE] DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT APPROACH IS NOT THE SAFT APPROACH AT THIS TIME ATRALIA.  THIS IS DUE TO AN UNEVEN DISTRIBUTN OF NEW HIV FECTNS ACROSS THE ATRALIAN POPULATN,” A TGA SPOKPERSON SAID. “LIFEBLOOD ARE EXPLORG OTHER PATHWAYS TO BROAN DONOR ELIGIBILY. THE TGA WILL NSIR ANY SUBMISSN OM A SPONSOR TO CHANGE S APPROACH TO THE FERRAL PERD, BASED ON DATA TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY OF SUCH A CHANGE.”SHARE8 M READPUBLISHED 29 OCTOBER 2021 7:13AMUPDATED 29 APRIL 2022 6:44AMBY ISABELLE LANESOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSATRALIAATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS

"Olympian Dame Kelly Holm, who served the army and me out as gay last year, lled the publitn of the report a "historic moment", while Cathere Dixon, a former army officer who is now vice chair at Stonewall, said was "an important step towards jtice" for those whose ary reers were "ed" bee of their sexualy. Many still have a crimal rerd to this also tails how some veterans faced a plete loss of e, while others were emed eligible to claim their pensn bee of their report more than 20 years after four servicemen and women, who were sacked for beg gay, won a se the European Court of Human Rights and overturned the armed forc chary Royal Brish Legn lled on the ernment to accept the report's remendatns chary's director general Charl Byrne weled both the report and Mr Sunak's "landmark apology", sayg many people who had dited their liv to the untry were "forced or felt prsured to leave the armed forc, and this mistreatment stroyed or shortened their reer". Prime Mister Rishi Sunak apologized Wednday for the treatment of gay veterans, sayg that a prev ban on LGBTQ+ people servg the U.

SHOULD ATRALIA END RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD?

”The apology me after an pennt review published Wednday timated that hundreds, if not thoands, of veterans were dismissed or suffered unr an official ban on homosexualy the U. “As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ” Sunak told Parliament.

It documented the effects of what lled “an prehensible policy of homophobic bigotry our armed forc. Veterans’ ttimoni “give shockg evince of a culture of homophobia, and of bullyg, blackmail and sexual asslts, abive vtigatns to sexual orientatn and sexual preference, disgraceful medil examatns, cludg nversn therapy, ” the report said. Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holm, who had served the Brish army and who me out as gay last year, said meant “a huge amount” to hear the ernment apology.

“From a personal pot of view, the ban affected me terms of who I was and what I uldn’t be for 34 years, ” Holm ban on homosexualy was abandoned 2000, when the European Court of Human Rights led favor of four service personnel who were vtigated and then discharged bee of their sexualy.