Northern Ireland gay men allowed to give blood

3^rd June 2016 - When the rest of the UK lifted the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood in 2011 following expert advice, Northern Ireland kept the restrictions in place.

Northern Ireland health minister Michelle O’Neill has now announced the lifetime ban for men who have had sex with other men will be lifted in September.

Evidence based decision

In line with the rest of the UK, the new policy allows gay and bisexual men to donate blood if their last sexual contact with another man took place more than 12 months ago.

In March, the Appeal Court confirmed that blood donation policy is a devolved matter. However, evidence showed that the risk of contracting HIV from donated blood is lower with a one-year deferral than with a lifetime ban.

In a statement, Michelle O’Neill says: "My first responsibility in this matter is patient safety. Evidence from across the UK has provided assurance that the risk is lower with a one-year deferral. My decision is based solely on the evidence regarding the safety of donated blood."

She also stressed the importance of donors sticking to the guidelines: “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."

Further restrictions 'should be lifted'

The decision has been welcomed by the sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

In a statement, executive director of external affairs Dr Shaun Griffin, says: "We welcome the news that Northern Ireland has lifted its lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men. However there is still a one-year ban, as we currently have in the rest of the UK.

"The safety of the blood supply must come first, however the 2011 review that the one-year ban was based on is now out of date, and the rules need updating to reflect current evidence of the reality of conditions like hepatitis C and HIV in 2016."

Dr Griffin says further expert guidance is due later this year: "We look forward to the results of the upcoming review into blood donations, which will take place later in 2016, based on guidance issued from SabTO [Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs] for all of the UK administrations."