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Universities ban blood donor posters
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Student unions ban blood donation posters in protest over gay donor ban
"[Gay men] are considered to be in the ââ¬Ëhigh riskââ¬â¢ category of contracting blood-borne viruses, which include HIV and Hepatitis B."
Two student unions have banned the National Blood Service from advertising in their universities as protest against the nationwide ban on gay blood donors.
The student unions in question, Newcastle and Sunderland, said that the current prohibition on gay blood donors was unfair and discriminatory.
Current policy states that men who have had sex with another man can not donate blood because they are considered to be in the ‘high risk’ category of contracting blood-borne viruses, which include HIV and Hepatitis B.
Mrs Olley, from the Newcastle area owes her daughter’s life to blood donors, and supports the universities’ decision to ban the posters. She said:
“The blood service needs more people to donate blood. It wouldn't stop an entire group from donating without good reason.
“Students are one of the key groups for donations and they need to have access to information about how to donate.”
Although all blood donations are screened, some early stage infections can go undetected. A spokesperson for the National Blood Service elucidated:
“In order to assure the continued safety of the blood supply, we currently ask that those in groups shown to have a particularly high risk of carrying blood-borne viruses do not give blood.
“While safer sex through the use of condoms, does reduce the transmission of infections, it cannot eliminate the risk altogether.”
Last week the Blood Transfusion Service rejected an appeal to lift the UK-wide ban on gay men donating blood, despite successful changes to the law in France, Italy and Spain.
