France is now allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood, however only if they have not had sex in the past year. Previously facing a lifetime ban that was implemented at the height of the AIDS crisis in the 80s, gay and bisexual men will be able to donate from Monday onwards. Women who have sex with women also previously faced a ban on donating which was lifted in 2002. In November, Health Minister Marisol Touraine promised to reverse the ban and said “Donating blood is an act of generosity, of citizenship, which shouldn’t be conditional upon a [person’s]sexual orientation.” LGBTI rights advocates, including Spohie Aujean, senior policy officer for ILGA Europe, believe the year-long ban is “unfair”, however she told France 24 that the lift on the ban “is a good sign, which shows that men who have sex with other men are becoming less stigmatised … It’s helping them move towards a situation that is more equal.” New Zealand made the change from a five year ban to 12 months in December, 2014.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 14th July 2016 - 12:40pm