Statement: National AIDS Trust’s response to changes to blood donations from 14 June
Kat Smithson, Director of Policy at National AIDS Trust, said:
“From 14 June more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood safely because of changes to eligibility based on a more individualised assessment of risk. We participated in the FAIR steering group which made recommendations [1] that led to these changes and we’re delighted they’re being brought in next month. We’ve long campaigned for an eligibility process that ensures more people can give blood safely, is fair, and is based on the latest science.
“This is only a first step in achieving a more inclusive approach and we now want to see other exclusionary criteria reviewed urgently to ensure donors are being asked questions that successfully identify higher risk, without unnecessarily excluding people or groups. The ongoing lifetime exclusion for anyone who has ever injected drugs is one example.” [2]
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For more details please contact Anabel Unity Sale on anabelunity.sale@nat.org.uk or 020 7814 6738.
Notes to editors
- To read the full recommendations set out by FAIR visit: https://www.blood.co.uk/news-and-campaigns/news-and-statements/fair-steering-group/
- More information on the changes to the rules, how they came about, and what they mean can be read in Kat Smithson’s Q&A posted in December 2020 when the Government first announced it would be making these changes.