Marie Wolfe, Canadian Press Published Thursday, April 28, 2022, 12:22 PM EDT Last Updated on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 6:33 PM EDT
OTTAWA – Health Canada has approved an end to a policy that restricts men who have sex with men from donating blood products for three months, a change welcomed by LGBTQ advocates but criticized – including by the prime minister, who promised years ago to stop it – because long overdue.
“It’s been a long time,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Ottawa on Thursday.
“The current approach has been discriminatory and wrong, and this is an important step forward in both the security of our blood supply and non-discriminatory practices.
Canadian Blood Services has asked Health Canada to allow it to remove gender or sexuality issues when screening potential donors and instead ask about riskier sexual behavior.
By the end of September, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
If yes, they will be asked if they have had anal sex with any of these partners. If they have, they will have to wait three months after this activity before donating blood.
The Federal Blood Agency said focusing on sexual behavior rather than orientation would allow it to assess more reliably the risk of infections, such as HIV, that can be transmitted through blood transfusions.
He also asked potential donors if they had been tattooed or involved in intravenous drug use as a way to prevent the transmission of diseases, including HIV, through blood transfusions.
“Finally!” Egale Canada wrote on Twitter.
“We strongly welcome today’s decision by Health Canada to allow the Canadian Blood Services to end its discriminatory ban on blood and plasma donations aimed at two spirits, gay, bisexual and queer men, trans women and other men who have sex with men. A long time ago! ”
A life ban was introduced in 1992 as part of the aftermath of the tainted blood scandal in the 1980s. Thousands of Canadians were then exposed to HIV and hepatitis after receiving contaminated blood products. It was reduced to five years in 2013.
Liberals have vowed to end a ban on men who have sex with men donating blood during the 2015 election campaign that brought the Trudeau government to power.
The postponement period was reduced to one year in 2016 and then to three months in 2019. The Liberals promised in the elections in 2019 and in 2021 to eliminate it completely.
Trudeau said Thursday that the policy should have ended at least a decade ago. He said his government had invested $ 5 million to study the safety aspects of changing blood donation rules, and numerous scientific reports had shown that “our blood supply will continue to be safe.”
Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, who said his first partner died of AIDS 30 years ago, said on Thursday that the change in donation rules now means “my blood is as good as everyone’s blood in this room.” . He called it a step forward in human rights and “breaking the stigma”.
Catherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Blood Service, said the agency knew it needed to reconnect with LGBTQ communities once it had the policy.
“This change in criteria is scientifically sound and will allow us to be more inclusive about who can donate, while, as always, ensuring a safe, adequate blood and plasma supply for patients in Canada,” she said.
“This change is a significant step, but we know that we still have significant work to do to build trust and restore relations with LGBTQ communities, and we are committed to doing so.
Ontario lawmaker Eric Duncan, the first openly gay man to be elected conservative, said “discrimination like this doesn’t have to take so long to resolve.”
“Finally, after many delays, Canada is one step closer to ending the country’s long-standing and discriminatory blood ban,” Duncan said. “After years of delay, we are still at least five months away from this change.
NDP lawmakers Randall Garrison and Blake Dejarle, critics of LGBTQ rights, said in a joint statement that “finally allowing men who have sex with men to donate blood is a long-overdue victory for men who have sex. with men, community members and allies who have worked tirelessly for years to get the government to act. “
Dr Graham Cher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services, admitted at a briefing that some donors may be offended when asked about their sexual partners and whether they have had anal sex.
But he said all donors, regardless of their sexual orientation, would be asked the same questions about “high-risk sexual behavior,” not just men who have sex with men.
He said the questions were justified because “anal sex is a significantly higher risk factor” for HIV.
Cher said the agency is taking an evidence-based approach to change based on research in Canada and around the world, including epidemiological studies and statistical modeling.
He said the approach was very similar to that in the United Kingdom.
Cher said the risk of contracting a donated blood disease was “extremely, extremely low” and there were several levels of screening, including for HIV, as well as blood purification before using samples.
He said the change in screening issues would lead to “no measurable increase in the risk” of HIV transmission.
Health Canada said it had convened a group of scientific and medical experts on blood safety to inform its decision on a request from the Federal Blood Agency.
“Today’s solution is an important cornerstone of a more inclusive blood donation system across the country and builds on advances in scientific evidence in recent years,” the statement said.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2022.
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