Until now, a male donor who had sex with another man in the previous three months could not donate blood
Since last Monday, coinciding with the International Blood Donor Day, gays can now donate blood in United Kingdom. Until now, a man who had had sex with another man in the previous three months could not donate blood A fact that made it very difficult for gays to donate blood. The new regulations came into force on Monday in England, Scotland and Wales, and from July on North Ireland.
Until now, British regulations for giving blood discriminated against gay men because of their condition. Now the questionnaire prior to donation has been modified, which asks the same question to everyone regardless of their orientation. Anyone who has had the same sexual partner in the past three months will be able to make a donation, which means that more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood, platelets, and plasma.
Blood discrimination
The first pair of donors has been the one formed by a Catalan, Oscar Cavero, and a French, Xavier Arias-Petit. They both work in the British Health System and they have followed the change very closely: «It was important for both of us to be involved and to be the first as a couple.", He says Oscar.
A Xavier He was not so surprised by the restriction, which also discriminates against him in his country: «En France I can't give blood either and I've never understood it. I have always found it discriminatory to tell a person that because of their sexuality they cannot donate blood. It was a matter of time and we are proud. Oscar Remember that the prohibition is based on the stigma that on the homosexual community, began in the 80s and 90s by the SIDA boat and especially about men, but that currently no longer makes sense.
In fact, the regulations in Spain is an exception. Until now the United Kingdom, there were only seven countries in Europe where the sexual condition is not taken into account in order to give blood; Italy, Latvia, Poland, Russia and SpainAlso San Marino y Albania.
