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Aren’t the regulations a blunt instrument? Couldn’t they be refined to increase the number of people who could donate?
A blanket ban on all MSM is currently seen as more workable, more cost-effective and more efficient than opt-out exclusions. It’s also true to say that even if the system were changed to allow opt-out exclusions, for example allowing MSM to donate if they haven’t had sex in the past year, this would still lead to the vast majority of gay men being excluded from giving blood.
The last review of the policy found that the risk to the blood supply would rise by 60% if men were allowed to self assess based on these criteria. For this reason it was decided that a blanket ban was safer.
Again, we accept that on the surface the rules can initially appear very discriminatory and believe the National Blood Service need to improve the quality of their communication with members of the public who are refused, to explain why this is so.
Frequently asked questions
- Isn’t it discrimination to ban gay men from giving blood?
- But HIV isn’t a ‘gay disease’ anymore, is it?
- But aren’t more heterosexual people diagnosed each year with HIV in the UK than gay men?
- What evidence is there that if MSM were allowed to give blood, the risk of HIV being passed on would increase?
- How is it fair that a gay man with one sexual partner is banned, while a heterosexual man can have 300 sexual partners and isn’t banned?
- But aren’t these statistical models based on ‘assumptions’ about what men who have sex with men actually do?
- Shouldn’t people be allowed to assess their own risk when they answer questions before giving blood?
- Aren’t the regulations a blunt instrument? Couldn’t they be refined to increase the number of people who could donate?
- Can’t they test the blood before passing it on?
- Other countries have changed their regulations, why shouldn’t we?
- Back to the Blood donations main page
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