Phone calls to lift ban on gay men giving blood in coronavirus

Gay lover Andreas in Berlin wants to donate blood but is not allowed.

German rules require gay or bisexual men to refrain from sex for at least 12 months before donating due to concerns about exposure to HIV.

However, given the pressure on the blood supply, Andreas, who didn’t want to give his surname, has the solution, because the blockade of the coronavirus is blocking new donors from coming in-a lie.

“ I’ve never donated blood, but in an emergency it’s better to lie and give if my behavior is only in an unguaranteed risk group. I think it’s the responsibility. It’s blood. “

LGBT + campaigns are discriminatory as blood supplies around the world face unprecedented pressure from the coronavirus crisis and increasing calls to relax restrictions on men who have sex with men. I blame it.

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cut the 12-month waiting period for gay and bisexual men to donate to 3 months, reducing the social distance and stopping donation. Report a general slump.

Many countries have introduced blood donation regulations in the wake of the HIV / AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, infecting blood donated by drug users and prisoners and contaminating supplies.

However, Professor Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization’s Center for Global Health Cooperation, said science has since advanced.

“We have many categorical rules, and modern science should be able to do better screening,” he said.

The rules vary globally, but as the coronavirus epidemic spreads and the number of potential donors declines, these waiting periods need to be abolished and aligned with policies that target straight people. Many believe that.

The UK and Canada require three months of refrain from sex before donating to gay or bisexual men.

Germany and Austria have a 12-month deferment period, while Taiwan has a waiting period of 5 years. Singapore and Greece are one of the countries that ban men who have same-sex relationships from donating blood in full.

The US initially banned blood donations for gay and bisexual men in 1985 at the height of the HIV / AIDS epidemic, but the 2015 rules were relaxed until a 12-month wait.

“If you have regular inspections and are leading a lifestyle that doesn’t endanger your recipients, you should be able to shed blood,” said Patrick, a 32-year-old translator from Berlin. Give his surname.

“Unfortunately, we live in a society where outdated ideas are prevalent.”

LGBT + advocacy Glaad welcomed the FDA’s decision to reduce the waiting period, but said it would continue to push for the removal of all bans because it blamed the LGBT + community.

“We will continue to fight until the deferral is lifted and gays, bimen and all LGBTQ people are treated the same as others,” said Glaad President Sara Kate Ellis.

The German Federal Ministry of Health declined to comment, but Austrian officials said the concerns about the coronavirus did not affect the official policy on donations from homosexual or bisexual men.

“Quality assurance for blood and blood products must always be a priority,” said a spokesperson for the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health.

HIV prevalence in homosexual and bisexual people in Western countries has been reduced by extensive testing and the advent of PrEP, a daily tablet that prevents virus infection by as much as 99%.

British public health New HIV diagnoses fell by 71% between 2012 and 2018, according to figures released by England.

“MSM [men who have sex with men] This problem is a smaller risk than we can define at this time, “said Chief Medical Officer of Cerus Corporation, a former American Red Cross former chief medical officer and now a biomedical product company. It is Mr. Richard Benjamin who is a person.

“The system is not fair and unfair. There is a perception of discrimination, which leads to people not following the rules.”

The answer is simple for Dr. Jack Turban, a psychiatrist at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States, who recovered from a coronavirus. That is, when it comes to giving blood, there is equality between straight men and gay men.

“Every time there is a crisis or shortage, gay and bisexual men want to help,” said Turban. “But we must be careful while this discriminatory policy perpetuates the blood shortage.”