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Slieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne has welcomed the change in blood donation rules, which will allow more people to donate, while maintaining safety of blood supply.
Health Minister Robin Swann announced changes today to blood donation deferral rules that will bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK where the changes were implemented in November 2017. It means that from 1 June men who have had sex with men (MSM) can now donate blood, as long as it is three months since sexual activity. The UK rules also apply to people who have had sex with partners in groups known to have a high risk of having an infection that could be passed on during sex and commercial sex workers.
Councillor Byrne said:“I warmly welcome this decision by Minister Swann to change these rules, which placed a 12-month delay on blood from primarily gay men. This rule was discriminatory and rooted in homophobia, as opposed to medical evidence.
"The Minister’s decision to reduce the delay to three months means that more people will be able to donate to our depleted blood supplies, while maintaining high standards.”“This is personally welcome news for me. As someone who was prohibited from donating blood before I reached my 10 donation milestone, I am looking forward to finally being able to make that contribution.”
Announcing his decision to change to a three-month deferral, Minister Swann said: “Any one of us may require a blood transfusion in the future and we need to be confident that the blood we receive is safe. As Minister for Health it is of utmost importance to me that we maintain the safety of blood and I’m confident that the new policy that I am announcing today will do that, while allowing more people to donate. My decision is based solely on the evidence regarding the safety of donated blood.
“Current blood donation rules prevent people who engage in some sexual behaviours from giving blood for a 12-month period. Having considered the expert advice and evidence provided by the committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs the deferral period for these people will now be reduced to 3 months.”
The Minister went on to stress the importance of donors’ compliance with the deferral rules: “The safety of donated blood depends on two things: donor selection and the testing of blood. Every blood donation is tested for HIV and a number of other organisms. Not even the most advanced tests are 100% reliable, so it is vitally important for every donor to comply with any deferral rules that apply to them.
“I have instructed the NI Blood Transfusion Service accordingly. To allow adequate preparation time the new policy will come into effect on 1 June 2020.”
