A new policy which will concern England, Wales and Scotland removes the lifetime ban on blood donations given by gay men. The ban excluded any male who had ever engaged in oral or anal sex with another male. The United Kingdom Department of Health announced its decision on September 8 following a recent data review performed by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO). The assessment concluded that excluding these men from donating blood was unjust as there was no scientific evidence supporting a risk increase to the blood supply.
The longstanding British ban, which was very similar to a current one held by the United States, was based on the premise that gay men are more vulnerable to contracting HIV, hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases. Supporters of such bans refer to HIV statistics collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimating that over half of new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2009 could be traced back to men who had sex with other men. However, critics of the ban also use CDC information showing that the infection rate is higher in black people than white, pointing out that there is no racial ban on donating blood.
Countries that have already lifted such bans include Austrailia, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, New Zealand and the latest addition, the U.K. The United States and Canada still hold these bans active. Although gay activists support the removal of this ban, they are less thrilled about the restrictive amendment taking its place. Beginning November 7, men may only give blood if it has been over a year since their last anal or oral encounter. The reasoning for this decision is that after a year, blood tests would be reliable at showing infections. Many have argued that all donors should be asked similar questions regarding their sexual practices, as the number of partners or whether a condom was used are not taken into account.
As the homosexual lifestyle has continued to gain momentum in social and global aspects, its affects cannot be ignored. Whether this lifestyle is viewed as right, wrong, accepted or criticized, it is definitely a source of controversy that will not disappear anytime soon. Therefore, society must find a way to incorporate this growing community of people. Will the United States be the next country to remove its ban on gay males being allowed to donate blood? Only time will tell.
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