Wednesday, April 13, 2011

United Kingdom to allow non-sexually active gay men to donate blood

British health officials said Sunday that gay men will soon be allowed to donate blood for the first time, provided they are not sexually active.

The announcement signals an end to the decades-old ban, reports the Telegraph.

Under current legislation, gay men who have had sex are banned from donating, but due to limited controls, an estimated 7 percent of sexually active gay men still give blood.

But new plans to be announced in the coming weeks by Public Health Minister Anne Milton, will allow gay men to donate blood — but only if they have not had sex for the past ten years.

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