Britain's leading LGBT equality lobby group has called on the UK's National Blood Service to end its ban on blood donations from sexually active gay men. Pinknews.co.uk reports that the lobby group has spent two years reviewing research and rules on the subject. "The safety of the blood supply is of course paramount, but it is our genuine belief that exclusion should be expressed in terms of risky behavour, not sexual orientation," said a Stonewall spokesperson. "As it stands, a heterosexual person who has consistently put themselves at risk of exposure to HIV is not given the same lifetime ban as that of a gay man, who has had protected sex just once." Opposition to the ban in the UK and similar bans in other countries – including New Zealand – is rising. This story continues on the link below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 17th February 2009 - 9:44pm