Gay and Bisexual Men Are Now Allowed To Donate Blood In Most Of The U.K. : NPR

Contents:

• DONATN CHANGE TO ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE BLOOD
• BLOOD DONATN: RULE CHANGE MEANS MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN N GIVE BLOOD
• DONATN CHANGE TO ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE BLOOD
• BLOOD DONATN L EASE FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS
• GAY MEN BLOOD DONOR BAN TO BE LIFTED
• GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL
• MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ABLE TO GIVE BLOOD AFTER ‘HISTORIC’ LE CHANGE
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS
• GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL
• GAY BLOOD BAN: L ON GAY MEN DONATG TO BE RELAXED FURTHER
• SNP NMNS GAY BLOOD BAN

DONATN CHANGE TO ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE BLOOD

Image source, Getty ImagBlood donatn l for gay and bisexual men are beg relaxed across the UK, what the ernment is llg a "landmark change".

"'More work to do'Campaigners have weled the relaxatn of of the sexually active men claimed the three-month le for all men who have sex wh men was "rooted ep homophobia" Spibey, founr of FreedomToDonate, said his group has been mpaigng for the rtrictns to be updated for more than six years and they "warmly wele" this announcement. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Currently gay and bisexual men nnot give blood wh 12 months of havg sex wh another manChang makg easier for gay and bisexual men to give blood have been announced by the Sttish current ferral perd means that men nnot give blood wh 12 months of havg sex wh another man. However, this will be rced to three months unr the change, orred by Public Health Mister Aileen mpaigners have weled the measure but said do not pletely elimate "discrimatn blood donatn" change will be implemented by the Sttish Natnal Blood Transfn Service (SNBTS) follows remendatns om the UK's Advisory Commtee on the Safety of Blood, Tissu and Organs (SaBTO) new l, which also apply to mercial sex workers and people who have sex wh partners classed as high-risk, are beg troduced England as are likely to e to affect Stland this source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Campaigners believe the le change would allow more gay and bisexual men to donate bloodMs Campbell said: "The safety of blood suppli is paramount, and we have one of the saft suppli the world.

BLOOD DONATN: RULE CHANGE MEANS MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN N GIVE BLOOD

"Fears over fectns beg passed on through donatns om gay men led to an outright ban at the height of the Aids epimic, but that was cut to 12 months Campbell said she sympathised wh the strength of feelg on the part of gay and bisexual men about the current ferral polici and said the SNBTS has been asked to look to the possibily of dividualised risk forwardsStt Cuthbertson, om LGBTI chary Equaly Network, said the le chang were a "signifint step forward" and would allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood.

"We rema ncerned, however, that many low risk gay and bisexual men, for example those monogamo relatnships, will still not be allowed to donate unr this new policy, " he said. Gay uple Osr and Xavier say they feel "proud" about donatg blood for the very first time the UK.Before now, any male donor who'd had sex wh another man the prev three months uldn't give blood. Can gay men give blood?

DONATN CHANGE TO ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE BLOOD

Gay and bisexual men are not tomatilly prevented om givg blood. S., the Red Cross, along wh One Blood, Valant and partner LGBTQ+ muny health centers, are participatg a pilot study fund by the FDA select ci that uld potentially lead to chang for blood donor eligibily creria for gay and bisexual men.

But there is one easily implementable solutn to the natnal blood-supply shortage that’s been available for years and uld be a lifele: allowg gay and bisexual men to donate eely. S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex wh men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex wh another man the past three months. “It is my opn that we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science, ” she ntuatn of a MSM-specific barrier to givg is not only limg the blood supply, ’s unnecsary and “rooted homophobia, ” explas Perry N.

BLOOD DONATN L EASE FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

”In 2015, theFDA loosened s rtrictn, permtg gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they hadn’t had sex wh another man the past year. For example, if you’re a gay man who wears ndoms durg sex, you lim your risk of ntractg HIV.

Same go for gay men who are married or a long-term monogamo relatnship.

Conducted tanm wh the natn’s largt blood centers—the Amerin Red Cross, Valant, and OneBlood—the rearch effort will survey 2, 000 gay and bisexual men across the untry between the ag of 18 and 30 who have had sex wh at least one man the past three months.

LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

”The policy change uld have a signifint posive effect on the mental health of gay and bisexual men, too.

It also puts gay and bisexual men at higher risk for acquirg HIV over time. “Social and stctural factors that e gay men to feel othered e them to engage risky sexual behavr, ” Halkis says. So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly.

GAY MEN BLOOD DONOR BAN TO BE LIFTED

The first step is to sign GLAAD’s petn at You then n—and should—te those around you, “sce many people, cludg gay and bi men, don’t know that this ban exists, ” adds Lasky. Let them know you don’t support discrimatory practic that ban gay and bisexual men om dog their civic duty. Image ptn, Men who have sex wh other men will be allowed to donate bloodThe lifetime ban on blood donatns by homosexual and bisexual men will be lifted England, Stland and Wal.

"The gay rights group Stonewall said the move was a "step the right directn". However, s chief executive Ben Summerskill said there would still be tighter ntrols on low-risk gay men than on high-risk heterosexuals.

"A gay man a monogamo relatnship who has only had oral sex will still tomatilly be unable to give blood but a heterosexual man who has had multiple partners and not worn a ndom will not be qutned about his behavur, or even then, exclud.

GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL

However, he said was impossible to say how many men would actually be able to start donatg blood as "the vast majory of gay men are still [sexually] active" on this storyRelated Inter LksThe BBC is not rponsible for the ntent of external s. Gay and bisexual men England, Stland, and Wal n now donate blood, plasma and platelets unr certa circumstanc whout havg to wa three months, the Natnal Health Service announced this week. Gay and bisexual men England, Stland, and Wal n now donate blood, plasma and platelets unr certa circumstanc, the Natnal Health Service announced this week a momento shift policy for most of the U.

Begng Monday, gay men sexually active, monogamo relatnships for at least three months n donate for the first time. S, the abily for gay and bisexual men to donate blood is still rtricted.

A ban on gay and bisexual blood donors has been effect sce the early 1980s when fears about HIV/AIDS were wispread. Chang to the qutns asked of blood donors will ensure more gay and bisexual men are able to donate blood the future.

MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ABLE TO GIVE BLOOD AFTER ‘HISTORIC’ LE CHANGE

It’s clear that such a blanket approach was simply not fair – not least to gay and bisexual men mted relatnships. “I’ve been mpaigng on the issue of blood donatn for gay and bisexual men for over 15 years, and I wele the support of Sttish Misters approvg this change. “For me this was never about a right to give, but the fact that there were many gay and bisexual men that uld do so safely.

LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

“I’m pleased the evince, asssed by experts, has nclud that to be te, and that many thoands of gay and bisexual men will be able to donate their blood and help save liv. “Today, durg Pri Month, I’m proud to donate my blood for the first time alongsi many other gay and bisexual men across the UK as the l are changed to be fairer for all.

The FAIR chang mean that many more gay, bi men and other men who have sex wh men be able to donate blood more easily.

Get the ee Morng Headl email for news om our reporters across the worldSign up to our ee Morng Headl emailMore gay and bisexual men will be allowed to donate blood, platelets and plasma after “historic” new l me to new eligibily creria, which me to force on World Blood Donor Day on Monday, mean donors will no longer be asked if they are a man who has had sex wh another man, NHS Blood and Transplant said. Instead, any dividual who attends to give blood regardls of genr will be asked if they have had sex and, if so, about recent sexual behavurs, who has had the same sexual partner for the last three months will be eligible to donate, meang more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood, platelets and plasma while keepg blood jt as safe, chang will e to effect for donors England, Stland and Poppt, chief nurse for blood donatn at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Patient safety is at the heart of everythg we do.

GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL

Eligibily will be based on dividual circumstanc surroundg health, travel and sexual behavurs shown to be at a higher risk of sexual fectn, NHS Blood and Transplant the chang people n donate if they have had the same sexual partner for the last three months, or if they have a new sexual partner wh whom they have not had anal sex and there is no known recent exposure to a sexually transmted fectn (STI) or recent e of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) who has had anal sex wh a new partner or wh multiple partners the last three months will be not be able to give blood but may be eligible the future, chang were weled by chari cludg the Natnal Aids Tst, Stonewall and Terrence Higgs Santos, director of munitns and external affairs for Stonewall, said: “We wele today’s historic change, which will help ensure more gay and bi men n donate blood and reprents an important step towards a donatn selectn policy entirely based on an dividualised asssment of risk. ”But the Terrence Higgs Tst said that the Government had kept a “discrimatory rtrictn” England which will affect black muni’ abily to give rtrictn relat to a three-month ferral perd for anyone who has a “partner who has, or you thk may have been, sexually active parts of the world where HIV/Aids is very mon” and referenc “most untri Ai”, the chary chief executive Ian Green said: “It’s great news that far more gay and bisexual men n safely donate blood om today.

Mister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced further liberalisatn to the l rtrictg gay and bisexual men om donatg blood. Fe Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer, who beme one of Ireland’s first openly gay TDs when he me out 2012, said Ireland was part of a worldwi trend:.

In the Uned Kgdom, all four Natnal Health Servic now allow gay or bisexual men monogamo relatnships to donate blood at any time. The prev three month ferral for gay men was replaced wh a ban on donatns om any dividual, regardls of genr, who has had anal sex wh a new partner the past three months. The Sttish Natnal Party has approved a motn nmg the blood donatn ban on gay men.

GAY BLOOD BAN: L ON GAY MEN DONATG TO BE RELAXED FURTHER

Delegat at the party’s nference Inverns backed a motn which said that new l allowg gay men to donate blood if celibate for a year are not good enough. In September, misters announced that the lifetime ban would be scrapped and gay and bisexual men would be permted to donate blood if they absta om sex for 12 months.

Last month, the Liberal Democrat party voted to urge the ernment to go further on removg blood donatn rtrictns on gay men.

SNP NMNS GAY BLOOD BAN