Sir, – In a recent exchange of online correspondence with myself, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board reiterated its position of maintaining its blanket policy of lifetime deferrals for all male potential donors who have ever in their lives had sex with another man. They cited a 2011 HSE health surveillance report that shows the single biggest group in new HIV diagnoses were men who have sex with men, (MSM).
The report stated that, worryingly, the MSM group showed an increase in the rate of new HIV diagnoses, and was the largest single group showing new diagnoses at over 42 per cent. However, it also showed 26 per cent were women and almost 34 per cent were heterosexuals. The argument is easily made that in fact, the largest group is not the MSM group but an unspecified group of “Those not belonging to the MSM group” at almost 58 per cent. In other words straight men and women. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board (IBTSB) also didn’t comment on the fact that the MSM group are also more likely to seek STD testing after a sexual encounter, and that there may be a proportionately larger group of straight men and women who have not been diagnosed as they simply have not presented for testing.
My argument is that a blanket lifetime ban is ultimately increasing the risk of someone not getting a blood donation due to a shortage. I’m not suggesting the IBTSB is deliberately homophobic. However, if the ban is based on risk of exposure to HIV or other communicable diseases through unprotected sex then the ban should be extended to many other population sub groups. Surely a potential male donor who is in a long-term monogamous relationship with another man (and where both parties are demonstrably STD-free), is a suitable donor. He is certainly a statistically significantly lower risk than a promiscuous straight man who shows up at the donor clinic, but whose blood is accepted.
Many countries have lifted or eased the restrictions on MSM donations, subject to sexual activity disclosure. The American Medical Association, the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks and many medical and health care organisations, as well as political groups continue to call for a reassessment, if not a lifting of this blanket lifetime ban.
In September 2011, the UK lifted this ban, subject to sexual activity disclosure. It is my contention that a blanket lifetime ban on the MSM group, without some form of segmentation by risk, is not only discriminatory, but may ultimately lead to placing a very ill person at unnecessary risk. The IBTSB needs to actively reassess the risks and amend its policy on this matter, and indeed several other classes of potential donors. – Yours, etc,