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

Contents:

• NEW ATRALIAN BLOOD DONATN L FOR GAY MEN DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH, ADVOT SAY
• SHOULD ATRALIA END RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD?
• ATRALIA HAS OFFICIALLY EASED ITS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• 'WE REALLY WANT TO HELP': CALLS TO EASE RTRICTNS ON GAY BLOOD DONATNS
• WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?
• WHY CAN'T GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA?
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS
• ATRALIA MOV TO EASE L ON GAY BLOOD DONORS
• WHICH UNTRI PROHIB GAY OR BISEXUAL MEN OM DONATG BLOOD?
• ‘UNFAIR AND DISCRIMATORY’ BAN ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD NEEDS TO CHANGE: EXPERTS
• PH TO LIFT GAY BLOOD DONATN BAN AMID SHORTAGE
• ATTUS AND WILLGNS TO DONATE BLOOD AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ATRALIA
• NEW US BLOOD DONATN L ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE

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

New Atralian blood donatn l for gay men don’t go far enough, advot sayNew l that change the barriers facg gay men who want to donate blood Atralia don’t go far enough, advot blood donatn l for gay men have e to effect on Sunday allowg them to give blood if they have been celibate for three measure has dramatilly slashed that wag perd om 12 months – which effectively banned gay men om donatg – but advot say still discrimat agast many who would wish to year the Atralian Red Cross’s Lifeblood service announced the l would be changed om January 31, 2021, after a review of s sexual activy ferral new le, which also apply to transgenr people who have had sex wh a man, appli to oral and anal sex – wh or whout a Theraptic Goods Admistratn approved Lifeblood’s plan to cut the wag perd, and to also allow homosexual men to donate plasma and platelets. ”Gay men had prevly been banned om donatg durg the height of the AIDS epimic the 1980s, wh those l lgerg for new change me followg a ph for blood donors durg the COVID-19 panmic, wh MPs Alex Greenwich and Dr Time Read volly supportg the move their rpective stat of NSW and Victoria. “The current ernments of both the Uned Stat and the Uned Kgdom are mted to replacg their gay blood bans wh dividual risk asssment, and ‘s time for Atralia to do the same.

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

”The study also showed that among gay men who would donate blood, the prevalence of HIV is lower than the general populatn, Mr Croome said. LGBTQI+ groups have lled for Atralia to change s policy on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men the light of mov other untri to relax July the UK removed s three-month abstence perd for gay and bisexual men donatg blood, and moved to an dividual risk asssment for all donors, regardls of genr or sexual partner. A number of other natns, cludg the Netherlands, Israel, Argenta, France and Germany, have abolished their ban on blood donatns for particular groups sce the panmic began, or plan to do so unr Atralian policy, gay men or trans women who have sex wh men are unable to donate blood if their sexual abstence perd is ls than three months.

“Mollg suggts this would actually crease the amount of safe blood available to those need of blood products, ” she ban on gay blood donatns was put place the 1980s when much ls was known about the tectn and transmissn of HIV/ appli to all sexually active gay men, as well as sexually active bisexual men and transgenr women who have sex wh men – cludg those long-term Heiger timated that he donated blood as a teenager more than a dozen tim, before g out as gay.

“It rerc negative nnotatns of gay sex and stigmatisg certa groups of men. I fight agast the ia only gay men n ntract HIV. After s of harsh rtrictns for LGBTQI+ people who have wished to donate blood, Atralia has fally relaxed s long-standg blood donatn l for gay and bisexual men, as well as those who are transgenr.

ATRALIA HAS OFFICIALLY EASED ITS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Atralia now jos the Uned Stat and Canada who have also changed their blood donatn l to three months, per Gay Tim. “The current ernments of both the Uned Stat and the Uned Kgdom are mted to replacg their gay blood bans wh dividual risk asssment, and ’s time for Atralia to do the same. Acrdg to, the study also showed that among gay men who would donate blood, the prevalence of HIV is lower than the general populatn.

If you’re a sexually active gay or bisexual man, or trans, you n’t donate blood right now 's nothg and bisexual men were banned om givg blood durg the HIV and AIDS crisis that gripped the world the total ban beme a 12 month celibacy perd a few years later and earlier this year that was rced even further, meang men who have sex wh men now need to wa three months sce their last sexual ntact wh a man before they n Rodney Croome om natnal LGBTQI+ advocy anisatn don't thk there should be any "ferral" perd place at all.

'WE REALLY WANT TO HELP': CALLS TO EASE RTRICTNS ON GAY BLOOD DONATNS

"It's an ia beg embraced by other untri around the UK recently announced 's scrappg s three month postponement for gay and bisexual men who have had the same sexual partner for more than three 's beg replaced wh an dividualised risk asssment that would mean anyone who wants to donate blood would be asked qutns about their sexual Croome thks that mak sense. "The overwhelmg majory of gay and bisexual men Atralia don't have HIV and will never have HIV bee we practise safe sex or bee we're monogamo relatnships, " he said. Rearch rried out untri that have moved towards dividualised risk asssments has found the risk of sexually transmted fectns enterg the blood supply do not UK ernment has hailed what lls a "world leadg, safe optn" that regnis dividuals for the actns they take "rather than their sexual preference" says we need to be seeg siar progrs Atralia bee the current l around blood donatn are damagg to gay and bisexual men.

"There's a stereotype of gay men that we're somehow more prone to disease, that we're somehow more likely to be a threat to the health of others, " he said. "'I felt so small'Daniel Cottier was turned away when he tried to donate blood New South Wal earlier this a gay man, he followed the l and gave up sex three months before prentg for his when he got to the clic he found out that he still wasn't eligible to give blood bee he had taken the HIV preventative meditn PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) wh the last 12 uldn't fd that rmatn on the Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood webse. "Daniel later got an apology om Lifeblood and they have updated their webse to make clear that unr the current rtrictns if you are a gay man who PrEP, you have to wa a year sce your last dose before you n donate.

"But Rodney Croome believ the evince is creasgly showg the advantag of rcg rtrictns for gay, bi and trans people and the change would benef more than jt those muni.

WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?

(This May 11 story rrects date and time reference for France fal par)LONDON (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Countri around the world are reviewg rtrictns on blood donatns by gay and bisexual men imposed durg the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, wh some removg blanket bans and others rcg wag perds after gay ’s Supreme Court led on Friday that a 12-month ferral perd for gay and bi men to give blood was unnstutnal, a policy LGBT+ mpaigners had long argued was discrimatory given morn blood-screeng now, Brazil’s ernment will have to treat gay and bisexual men the same as heterosexual men when donatg blood. It uld wre a new law that restat the ban, but s posn is not yet blood suppli have e unr prsure due to the ronavis panmic, lls have grown for ernments to replace abstence perds for men who have sex wh men to donate blood wh dividual risk-based month, the Uned Stat and Northern Ireland cut their abstence perds, while Atralia said plans to do are the l erng blood donatn by gay and bi men around the world:- Countri that impose lifelong bans on gay and bisexual men donatg blood clu Croatia, Iceland, Malaysia, Slovenia, Sgapore, Tridad and Tobago and Ukrae- At least 17 untri now have no rtrictns, cludg Argenta, Italy, Rsia, South Ai, Spa and, as of January this year, Hungary- In April 2020, the Uned Stat cut s celibacy perd om 12 months to three months amid a blood shortage- Last month, Northern Ireland also rced s ferral perd om one year to three months, brgg to le wh regulatns the rt of the Uned Kgdom- Some untri differentiate between blood products and blood general, but Bra men who have had sex wh another man the last three months and revered om Covid-19 nnot donate their plasma to a ronavis treatment trial- Most untri do not mentn whether takg Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a HIV-preventn dg, affects gay and bi men’s abily to donate blood. Bra says s three-month abstence perd appli regardls of whether someone tak PrEP or not- When Atralia announced s tentn to cut the abstence perd om 12 months to three April, said people takg PrEP would still have a 12-month abstence perd- Atria lifted a blanket ban on men who have sex wh men givg blood, replacg wh a 12-month abstence perd for gay and bi men December 2019- In March, Denmark lifted s lifelong ban, implementg a prevly announced wag perd of four months- France has had a wag perd of 12 months sce 2016, when lifted a ban on gay and bisexual men givg blood that had been place sce 1983Sourc: Thomson Rters Foundatn rearch, RtersReportg by Rachel Savage @rachelmsavage and Elsa Ohlen; Addnal reportg by Fab Teixeira; Edg by Helen Popper and Hugo Greenhalgh.

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.

WHY CAN'T GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA?

“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. ”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.

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

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.

ATRALIA MOV TO EASE L ON GAY BLOOD DONORS

”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.

WHICH UNTRI PROHIB GAY OR BISEXUAL MEN OM DONATG BLOOD?

So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly.

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. KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - A tralia is set to ease l on gay and bisexual men donatg blood, health officials said on Friday, a move cried as “wdow drsg” by LGBT+ groups who cricised rtrictns that would rema proposed change - which needs to be approved by feral and state ernments - would cut a 12-month wag perd on men who have had sex wh men to three months, before they are eligible to donate me after the Uned Stat earlier this month cut the celibacy perd to three months due to risg ncerns about blood suppli durg the ronavis crisis.

‘UNFAIR AND DISCRIMATORY’ BAN ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD NEEDS TO CHANGE: EXPERTS

Atralian thori said the move was not related to the ronavis outbreak, and mataed that the three-month wag time - known as ferral perd - did not discrimate agast gay and bisexual men.

PH TO LIFT GAY BLOOD DONATN BAN AMID SHORTAGE

“At bt the new celibacy perd is wdow drsg to make a bad policy look better, ” said Rodney Croome, a spokperson at, an advocy said such rtrictn was a “haner” om the 1980s, when many untri banned gay men om donatg blood at the height of the HIV/AIDS epimic and the HIV tts were ls reliable. S., lls to remove the three-month ban on gay and bisexual men donors grew lour wh a jot letter released on Thursday by more than 500 doctors and said the recent reform did not go far enough reversg the “unscientific ban”, and only serve to “stigmatise” a group of potential donors durg the ronavis on blood donatns by gay men around the world differ.

It scribed how the disease attacks the immune system and listed the groups most at risk, cludg gay men who had several sexual partners and traveno dg ers. But on June 14th Bra swched to an dividual risk-asssment system for all as scientists have learned more about HIV/AIDS— is transmted via bodily fluids and n afflict people of any sexualy—many untri have remaed ut about blood donatn by gay and bisexual men.

THERE are h lls for an effective ban on homosexual men donatg blood to be quashed Atralia, as “science mov on” om outdated and discrimatory current excln polici, a male prospective donor who has had sex wh a man the prev 12 months is unable to give ’s somethg lobby groups like the Atralian Feratn of AIDS Organisatns (AFAO) have been tryg to change for almost two Red Cross Blood Service experienc regular shortag of supply, particularly for rarer blood typ, but opponents of current l believe gay men uld help bridge the gap.

ATTUS AND WILLGNS TO DONATE BLOOD AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ATRALIA

”Gay rights mpaigner Rodney Croome said makg blood donatn “ls discrimatory” uld be done whout jeopardisg risk. “The blanket ban on gay blood donatn is based on nothg more than prejudice, ” Mr Croome said.

“Evince prented a landmark se agast the ban, taken several years ago by Tasmanian gay man Michael Ca, showed that there are gay men who have a lower risk of HIV than many of the heterosexual people who n currently donate. ”Gay men Atralia are more likely to e to ntact wh HIV than heterosexual people and lbian women, and as a rult are viewed as “high risk” by blood banks. However, new rearch om the Kirby Instute found new s of HIV are on the cle gay men but on the crease heterosexual men.

NEW US BLOOD DONATN L ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE

“It shows that the kd of screeng that happens blood banks need to be more vigilant to people who don’t belong to the (homosexual) populatn, ” Ms Haire said.