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The row about gay men donating blood rages on
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Scottish MSPs challenge gay blood ban and slow uptake of new technology
"Ministers have so far refused to do anything to introduce new and improved testing mechanisms that could make it safe to lift the blanket ban on gay men donating blood"
A petition has been processed that will question the Scottish Government over the reasons behind its continuing ban on blood-donation from gay and bisexual men.
The request originated from a petition submitted by Rob McDowall that urged the Scottish parliament to question the government over why healthy bisexual and gay men are still unable to donate. The petition also suggested that similar questions are posed to the major organisations responsible for blood transfusion and donation in Scotland.
The petitions committee met in Holyrood to consider Mr McDowall’s submission and agreed to seek answers for the questions raised by the petition. Mr McDowall claimed in his report that in Spain the number of people contracting HIV from blood transfusions had dropped since a ban on donations from gay men was dissolved.
However the UK’s National Blood Service maintains, that “abolishing the rule for gay men would increase the risk of HIV infected donations entering the blood supply by about five times.”
The technology to screen blood effectively does now exist but the government has not acted on, or implemented any of the new research. Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Ross Finnie MSP said:
“I'm pleased that the Scottish Government admits that advances in blood transfusion safety procedures may allow gay and bisexual male donors to donate…but Ministers have so far refused to do anything to introduce new and improved testing mechanisms that could make it safe to lift the blanket ban on gay men donating blood.”
