Canadian Blood Services has asked Health Canada to allow it to cancel questions about gender or sexuality, basing control on higher-risk sexual behavior, such as anal sex. He says starting September 30 at the latest, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. They will then be asked if they had anal sex with any of these partners and if they have, then they will have to wait three months for this activity before donating blood. The agency says the question of sexual behavior, rather than sexual orientation, will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV that can be transmitted through injections. He also says the change comes after “countless hours” of work by LGBTQ and other groups that have long advocated a policy change. CLOCKS The Conservative MP calls for an end to the “blood ban”:
“It’s time to end bloodshed in Canada,” says Conservative MP
Conservative lawmaker Eric Duncan has tabled a motion by a private member calling on the Liberal government to end the ban on blood donation by men who have recently had sex with other men. 2:37
