A local political rep has welcomed a change that will make it easier for gay and bisexual men to donate blood.
From Monday, people who have had had the same sexual partner for the last three months will be able to donate blood.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) previously had to wait for a year after their last sexual activity before donating blood.
Eligibility will now be assessed based on health and sexual activity, rather than sexual orientation.
In June 2020, Health Minister Robin Swann relaxed blood donation rules to allow men who had been abstinent for three months to donate.
West Belfast Green Party rep Stevie Maginn, who was one of the first MSM to donate in the North, expressed his delight at the latest change.
“I am delighted that the rules around blood donations in NI have finally moved to a system that is based on sexual activity rather than sexuality," he said.
“Previously, there was a blanket ban on men who have sex with men donating blood which was deeply rooted in homophobia from the AIDS pandemic in the 80’s – the notion that blood from gay men was inherently dangerous.
“In 2016, then NI Health Minister Michelle O’Neill changed the law so that MSM had to be abstinent for one year to donate even if they were in long term monogamous relationships but this did little to increase important blood donations from this section of society."
The Green activist said the most recent change by Health Minister Robin Swann did prove beneficial.
“In June last year, the minister changed the rules agai so that the period of abstinence required was three months. At that point, I was able to donate for the first time but only because I was in lockdown from my partner.
“These different iterations of the same system weren’t just an equality issue, they didn’t actually reduce risks for recipients because it did not look at sexual behaviour. Consider the difference in risk of passing on disease between a gay man in a monogamous relationship for 10 years with that of a heterosexual person who has multiple sexual partners and is not engaging in safer sex.”
Stevie Maginn added: “Thankfully, as of this week, we will see the implementation of the Fair report. This means that all individuals will be asked the same pre-screening questions about their sexual activity in recent months, regardless of their sexuality. This will remove discriminatory barriers for Gay/Bisexual men, hopefully increase the number of much needed donations being made, and better protect recipients of blood transfusions. I look forward to donating blood again soon and I would really urge more people to consider doing so as well as looking at joining the organ and stem cell donation registers.”
