More gay and bisexual men to be eligible for blood donations from today
More gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood in the UK after new eligibility criteria proposed last year came into force today.
The criteria have been launched on World Blood Donor Day, in Pride month, and will mean male donors will no longer be asked if they have had sex with another man, NHS Blood and Transplant said today.
All individuals who wish to give blood, regardless of gender or sexuality, will be asked if they have had sex and if so, about recent sexual behaviours.
Those who’ve had the same sexual partner for the last three months will be eligible to donate.
Under the changes, people can also donate blood, platelets or plasma if they have a new sexual partner with whom they have not had anal sex and there is no known recent exposure to a sexually transmitted infection or recent use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Chief nurse for blood donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, Ella Poppitt, said: “This change is about switching around how we assess the risk of exposure to a sexual infection, so it is more tailored to the individual.
“All donors will now be asked about sexual behaviours which might have increased their risk of infection, particularly recently acquired infections. This means some donors might not be eligible on the day but may be in the future.”
The long-awaited overhaul was announced last year and followed an evidence-based review by the FAIR (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk) group led by NHS Blood and Transplant.