Canadian Blood Services to end gay ‘blood ban’

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OTTAWA — Well being Canada has accredited an finish to coverage that restricts males who’ve intercourse with males from donating blood merchandise for 3 months, a change welcomed by LGBTQ advocates however criticized — together with by the prime minister, who promised years in the past to finish it — as lengthy overdue.

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“It’s been a very long time coming,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated Thursday in Ottawa.

“The present strategy was discriminatory and fallacious, and it is a vital milestone in shifting ahead on each the security of our blood provide but additionally non-discriminatory practices.”

Canadian Blood Companies had requested Well being Canada to permit it to scrap questions on gender or sexuality when screening potential donors and ask about higher-risk sexual behaviour as a substitute.

By the top of September, potential donors can be requested if they’ve had new or a number of sexual companions within the final three months, irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation.

If sure, they might then be requested whether or not they have had anal intercourse with any of these companions. If they’ve, they would wish to attend three months since that exercise earlier than donating blood.

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The federal blood company stated specializing in sexual behaviour, not orientation, will enable it to extra reliably assess the chance of infections, similar to HIV, that may be transmitted by way of transfusions.

It additionally asks potential donors if they’ve been tattooed or engaged in intravenous drug use, as a manner to assist forestall illnesses, together with HIV, being transmitted by way of a transfusion.

“Lastly!” Egale Canada wrote on Twitter.

“We undoubtedly welcome right this moment’s resolution by Well being Canada to authorize Canadian Blood Companies to finish their discriminatory blood and plasma donation ban concentrating on Two-Spirit, homosexual, bisexual, and queer males, trans ladies, and different males who’ve intercourse with males. Lengthy overdue!”

A lifetime ban had been put into place in 1992 as a part of the fallout from the contaminated blood scandal within the Eighties. That was when hundreds of Canadians have been uncovered to HIV and hepatitis after receiving contaminated blood merchandise. It was diminished to 5 years in 2013.

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The Liberals promised to finish the ban on males who’ve intercourse with males donating blood in the course of the 2015 election marketing campaign that introduced the Trudeau authorities to energy.

The deferral interval dropped to 1 yr in 2016 after which three months in 2019. The Liberals promised in each the 2019 and 2021 elections to eradicate it solely.

Trudeau stated Thursday that the coverage ought to have ended a minimum of a decade in the past. He stated his authorities invested $5 million to analysis the security elements of fixing blood donation guidelines and a number of scientific studies had confirmed “our blood provide will proceed to be protected.”

Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, who shared that his first accomplice had died of AIDS 30 years in the past, stated Thursday the change in donation guidelines now meant that “my blood is pretty much as good as anybody’s blood on this room.” He referred to as it a step ahead in human rights and “ending stigma.”

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Catherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Companies, stated the company is aware of it wants to revive connections with the LGBTQ communities over having had the coverage in place.

“This standards change is science-informed and can allow us to be extra inclusive about who can donate whereas, as all the time, guaranteeing protected, satisfactory blood and plasma provides for sufferers in Canada,” she stated.

“This modification is a big step, however we all know we nonetheless have appreciable work to do to construct belief and restore relationships with LGBTQ communities, and we decide to doing so.”

Ontario MP Eric Duncan, the primary brazenly homosexual man to be elected as a Conservative, stated “discrimination like this could not take this lengthy to resolve.”

“Lastly, after a number of delays, Canada is one step nearer to ending the long-standing and discriminatory blood ban on this nation,” Duncan stated. “After years of delay, we’re nonetheless a minimum of 5 months away from this alteration taking impact.”

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NDP MPs Randall Garrison and Blake Desjarlais, who’re the critics for LGBTQ rights, stated in a joint assertion that “lastly permitting males who’ve intercourse with males to donate blood is a long-overdue victory for males who’ve intercourse with males, neighborhood members and allies who’ve labored tirelessly for years to push the federal government to behave.”

Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Companies, acknowledged in a briefing that some donors could take offence at being requested about their sexual companions and whether or not they have had anal intercourse.

However he stated all donors, no matter their sexual orientation, could be requested the identical questions on “high-risk sexual behaviour,” not simply males who’ve intercourse with males.

He stated the questions have been justified as a result of “anal intercourse is a considerably greater threat issue” for HIV.

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Sher stated the company is taking an evidence-based strategy to the change based mostly on analysis in Canada and all over the world, together with epidemiological research and statistical modelling.

He stated the strategy is similar to the one taken in the UK.

Sher stated the chance of contracting a illness from donated blood is “exceedingly, exceedingly low” and there are a number of layers of screening, together with for HIV, in addition to blood purification earlier than samples are used.

He stated the change in screening questions would result in “no measurable improve within the threat” of HIV transmission.

Well being Canada stated it convened a bunch of scientific and medical consultants on blood security to tell its resolution on the request by the federal blood company.

“At the moment’s authorization is a big milestone towards a extra inclusive blood donation system countrywide, and builds on progress in scientific proof made in recent times,” it stated in an announcement.