BIf recent reports come through, an unofficial ban on gay individuals donating blood could soon be lifted by Portugal’s DGS (directorate general of health) but restrictions will still be in place.
The new proposals are reportedly now to be put up for public consultation.
At the start of this week, newspaper Público reported that the DGS is gearing up to publish new clinical guidelines that would put an end to the current ruling that impedes homosexual and bisexual individuals from donating blood, and would instead introduce waiting periods.
A year’s ‘suspension’ – a waiting time – would be applied to all donors who have sexual relations with homosexuals, sex workers, or individuals from African countries where the AIDS disease is endemic.
In practice the ‘ban’ therefore stops being complete and would only be partial, putting gay and straight donors practically on an equal footing, Público explains.
The drawing up of the proposed new guidelines was confirmed to Público by an official Ministry of Health source, and further establishes that all individuals, male or female, regardless of their sexual orientation, who have had contact with sex workers or homo or bi-sexual individuals must wait for a year after the encounter before being allowed to give blood.
Sex workers and homosexuals are described, respectively, in the document seen by Público, as “individuals belonging to subpopulations with heightened risk of infection of agents transmissible by blood” and “subpopulations with a high risk of infection.”
A 12-month suspension period will also become applicable to individuals who have had sexual contact, in Portugal or abroad, with “individuals from countries with a generalised HIV epidemic”, indicating African countries.
In an appendix attached to the document, a list of such countries includes the Portuguese-speaking countries Angola, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique.
On the other hand, anyone who has recently embarked on a stable, monogamous hetero or homosexual relationship should wait at least six months before being tested and eventfully authorised to give blood.
The text of the new document was due to be put up for a three-month public consultation period this week, which could entail changes to the details, after which the document will be firmed up and validated.
According to Público, it is the first time since 1998 that the laws governing the assessment of homosexual blood donors have been reviewed. It aims to put paid to what has been described by those against the informal ban as “discrimination against blood donors based on their sexual orientation.”
While the ban on gay donors is unofficial, currently, homosexual and bisexual men who have sex with other men are immediately ruled out for donations.