Leo Varadkar is in favour of lifting the ban on men who’ve had sex with another man donating blood. The ban was introduced in 1985 as part of the worldwide response to the emergence of HIV and AIDS but campaigners say it is out-dated and stigmatises gay and bisexual men. The minister is in favour of replacing the lifetime ban with a 12-month deferral period. This would mean gay or bisexual men could donate blood if they haven’t had sexual relations with another man in the past year. The minister’s favouring of the change does not mean that it will definitely happen with discussions to be held with the HSE’s chief medical officer. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) produced a report for the minister in which it outlined a number of options on the future of the ban. Either to maintain it, scrap it or introduce the deferral period.
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http://www.thejournal.ie/gay-men-blood-donation-1901445-Jan2015/

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