South Africa ends gay blood donation ban
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http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/south-africa-ends-gay-blood-donation-ban210514
South Africa ends gay blood donation ban
Gay men who are in committed monogamous relationships will join those who are not sexually active in being allowed to donate blood to the South African National Blood Service.
21 May 2014 | By Andrew Potts
Under new rules announced by the South African National Blood Service gay men who are in monogamous committed relationships will be able to give blood alongside those who have not been sexually active for at least six month.
The new rules do not single out men who have sex with men and instead excludes ‘people whose lifestyle puts them at increased risk of contracting an infection that can be transmitted through their blood,’ rather than excluding people based on their sexual orientation.
The rules give the example of people who have had 'more than one sexual partner in the past six months or if they have had sexual contact with someone whose sexual background is unknown to them,’ as examples of factors that would lead a potential donor to be screened out.
The blood service will continue to test every litre of blood it collects for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and syphilis.
South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world but most people living with HIV in the country are heterosexuals.
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just about time, USA take note.
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This an amazing news, and it saddens me that more countries haven't yet end gay blood donation bans.
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Can't wait for Canadian Blood Services Policies to catch up with South Africa's.
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I have no idea why they took so long.
But recent statistics have shown the highest HIV risk group is black men, and most transmissions occur between man and women.Maybe this move was not as much enlightened as it was forced. If this had gone to court they would have failed to explain why they treat sexuality different from race profiling. Since evidence show that with this kind of discrimination black men should also be banned.
Simplified:
Previous rules stated that gay men who have abstained from sex for 6 months can donate.
New rules are that anyone not in a committed relationship who had sex withing 6 months can not donate. -
Way to go South Africa. I wish Australia would catch up and do the same thing. Current rules here are you can't donate if you've had homosexual sex in the last 12 months and I've stopped giving blood because I don't want to lie on official documents.
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Finally a good news. There has not been much good news in the world recently
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ah great now if they will only do that in aus
