Blood donation ban on men who have sex with men can end: Health Canada

Health Canada has given Canadian Blood Services the green light to lift specific restrictions on blood donations from men who have sex with men.

The federal regulator said in a news release Thursday it has now authorized a request from Canadian Blood Services to lift the restrictions around screening questions for men who have sex with men that banned them from donating blood for three months.

The move officially greenlights a policy change by the blood service that officials said is expected by Sept. 30, 2022. Read more: Canadian Blood Services asks Health Canada to drop ban on gay blood donation Instead, donors will be screened regardless of gender or sexuality, for high-risk sexual behaviours. “Under the new screening approach, Canadian Blood Services will introduce a sexual behaviour-based donor-screening questionnaire that will apply to all donors of blood and plasma,” Health Canada said. “Today’s authorization is a significant milestone toward a more inclusive blood donation system nationwide, and builds on progress in scientific evidence made in recent years.” Over the last decade, Health Canada said it’s OK’d several changes to the donor deferral period for men who have sex with men, from a lifetime restriction to five years in 2013, to one year in 2016 and to three months in 2019.

Under federal regulations, Canada’s two blood operators — Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec — are required to make submissions to Health Canada for any changes to their processes, such as changes to donor deferrals, the regulator said.