Ireland adopts change in blood donor deferral policy

Ireland on Monday introduced a change to the blood donor deferral policy, according to a cabinet minister.

This change will see the lifting of the lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM), Irish Health Minister Simon Harris said, adding that a man who last had sex with another man more than 12 months ago will now be able to donate blood if he meets the other blood donor selection criteria.

In a statement, Harris also welcomed Monday's introduction of an additional deferral from blood donation of those with a history of specific notifiable sexually transmitted infections for five years from completion of treatment of that infection.

This change in deferral policy relating to MSM follows detailed consideration of the issues involved over the past two years.

This process included the hosting, by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS), of an international symposium in April 2016, where experts from seven countries who had either changed, or were in the process of changing, their deferral policy from a lifetime ban for MSM as blood donors, presented their respective stances, research and the rationale behind their decisions.

The change to a one-year deferral for MSM is supported by the most current scientific evidence available and brings Ireland into line with similar policies in the UK, Canada and elsewhere.

In Ireland, only 3 percent of its eligible population are active blood donors, yet one in four people will require a blood transfusion at some time in their lives, the Irish minister said, urging all the eligible to consider donation. Endit