More gay and bisexual men will be allowed to donate blood, platelets and plasma after new “historic” rules come into effect.
The new eligibility rules went into effect today on World Blood Donor Day and mean donors from England, Scotland and Wales will no longer be asked for. they are a man who has had sex with another man, NHS Blood and Transplant said.
Instead, anyone who comes forward to donate blood, regardless of gender, will be asked if they have had sex and, if so, their recent sexual behaviors.
Anyone who has had the same sexual partner in the past three months will be eligible to donate, meaning more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood, platelets and plasma while keeping the blood just as safe. said NHS Blood and Transplant.
The organization’s chief nurse for blood donation, Ella Poppitt, said: “Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do.
“This change is about changing the way we assess the risk of exposure to a sexual infection, so that it is more suited to the individual.
The changes were well received by charities
“We review all donations for evidence of significant infections, which goes hand in hand with donor screening to maintain the safety of blood sent to hospitals.
“All donors will now be asked about sexual behaviors that might have increased their risk of infection, especially recently acquired infections. This means that some donors might not be eligible on that day but could be eligible for the to come up.”
Changes to the Donor Safety Screening Form will affect donors of blood, plasma and platelets, but the blood donation process will not change.
The NHS Blood and Transplant said eligibility will be based on individual circumstances surrounding health, travel and sexual behaviors that pose a higher risk of sexual infection.
Under the changes, people can donate if they have had the same sexual partner in the past three months, or if they have a …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-14 00:39:00
