Blog Archive
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2011
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April
(116)
- Oklahoma Gets Official State Gospel Song
- Quote Of The Day - Peter Sprigg
- NOM Signs Up For Diaz Rally
- Tony Perkins: Gay Activists Are Terrorists
- HomoQuotable -Jimmy LaSalvia
- Spike in searches causes Google to suggest “James ...
- Remembering the Admiral Duncan bombing 12 years on
- Interview: Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard, the man with t...
- Atlanta Braves coach accused of anti-gay slurs
- New Mexico school bans all clubs after gay-straigh...
- Gay US politician abandons plan for gay marriage t...
- US Marines begin training to accept gay soldiers
- Anger over Tennessee’s ‘don’t say gay’ bill
- Elton John’s mother speaks about rift
- Gay man beaten in homophobic south London attack
- San Francisco’s legendary gay bookshop to close
- Moscow gay pride parade now uncertain
- Last known gay holocaust survivor to receive Franc...
- Pakistan allows trans men and women their own gend...
- Horses killed in Midwestern barn fire in apparent ...
- Cary Grant’s daughter claims her father ‘enjoyed b...
- Maddow: Gay Anchors Should Come Out
- GOP Praises Paul Clement, Disses King & Spalding O...
- Prop 8 Proponents Move To Vacate Judge Vaughn Walk...
- Levi Johnston Readies Palin Tell-All
- Tony Perkins On King & Spalding
- Marriage Protest At Buckingham Palace
- PhoboQuotable - William Gheen
- MARYLAND: Hundreds Attend Rally Against Anti-Trans...
- Andrew Sullivan On King & Spaulding
- Gay former governor of New Jersey has bid for ordi...
- Rapper receives death threats over ‘I’m Gay’ album...
- Lesbian newsreader says gay men and women have a ‘...
- HomoQuotable - Greg Quinlan
- FLORIDA: Anti-Gay Group Launches MTV Boycott Over ...
- GOP Sen. John Ensign To Resign
- NEW YORK: Sen. Ruben Diaz To Stage Massive Anti-Ga...
- Updated: Lesbian couple sue Brighton hotel
- Man, 18, arrested over east London anti-gay stickers
- Thousands could leave Church of Scotland over gay ...
- Tennessee Senate panel approves school gay ban bill
- Interview: Peter Tatchell on a lifetime of campaig...
- Gay marriage rally at Buckingham Palace
- Antony Cotton ‘proud’ of Corrie gay parents story
- Theatre review: The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
- Kate Middleton ‘a lesbian icon’
- 15 charges for US student in gay suicide case
- Father ‘killed lesbian daughter’s girlfriend and h...
- Gay HIV study to look at daily prevention pill
- Jewish LGBT group celebrates Passover with inclusi...
- Another US poll finds majority support for gay mar...
- Malaysia’s gay cure camp sparks anger
- Four of five main Scottish parties promise action ...
- US student charged for lying about anti-gay attack
- Derren Brown reveals he went to ‘gay cure’ church
- London transgender conference cancelled after tran...
- Prince William and Kate Middleton urged to support...
- Malaysia sends 66 boys to gay cure camp
- Hungary approves new ‘anti-gay’ constitution
- Evan Rachel Wood comes out as bisexual
- Irish trans woman wins £30,000 for discrimination
- Facebook apologises for removing gay kiss photo
- Gay stable-boy sexually harassed female manager
- Stonewall Cymru holds hustings for Welsh Assembly ...
- Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy composes royal weddi...
- Scottish Green Party leader tells of MSPs’ anti-ga...
- Gay men vote Nick Clegg ‘sexiest party leader’
- Facebook removes gay kiss photo for ‘being sexuall...
- Facebook removes gay kiss photo for ‘being sexuall...
- Brighton Pride announces ticket price concessions
- US study: Gay teen suicide risk higher in conserva...
- Basketball star Kobe Bryant fined $100,000 for ant...
- Photo Of The Day - Pink Thundersticks
- Frothy Mix To Glenn Beck: States Should Be Allowed...
- Hundreds protest outside John Snow pub that kicked...
- Bill could make gay history compulsory in Californ...
- Gay dads celebrate 21 years with plastic baby
- Soho pub closes to avoid gay kissing protest
- Rev Jesse Jackson denies harassing gay employee
- Drinker claims gay kissing couple were ‘over the top’
- Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe calls Britain ‘gay...
- HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan
- Family Research Council's Peter Sprigg Claims Pere...
- Kobe Bryant To Appeal "Faggot" Fine
- Quote Of The Day - Ben Cohen
- FLORIDA: Teabaggers To Host Trump
- The Verizon Guy Comes Out
- HIV charities surprised at gay blood ban reports
- Boy George: ‘Most gay men just want to fit in now’
- Gay soldier raises £4,000 for Stonewall
- Glee and Modern Family tie at GLAAD Media Awards
- EastEnders to have first gay civil partnership
- Lady Gaga tackles homophobic fan
- European parliament calls for special protection o...
- Gay blood donation ban to be lifted but only for m...
- Safe sex message for Attitude’s ‘naked issue’
- Academic who blamed fall of Roman Empire on gays u...
- Nepal’s gay MP: ‘Gandhi’s sexuality doesn’t matter’
- Newly-out gay MPs attend Stonewall Equality Dinner
- Gay man attacked at London cruising spot
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April
(116)
Gay blood donation ban to be lifted but only for men who haven’t had sex for 10 years
The British government is to lift the ban on gay men giving blood, ruling that a blanket ban is discriminatory and could be in breach of the Equality Act. However, lifting the ban will only apply to gay men who have not had sex for 10 years prior to donating blood.
The Sunday Times reports that the change in the ban will be announced by Anne Milton, the public health minister shortly.
While donated blood is screened for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, a small number of infected donations are missed due to the time between infection with HIV and it being detected in blood tests.
The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) found that a ban on gay men from giving blood if they had not had sex with another man for five years would increase the risk of blood supplies being contaminated by five percent. Ministers were told that this risk would halve for men who had not had gay sex for ten years.
It is estimated that seven per cent of sexually active gay men donate blood despite the current ban. Campaigners have long pointed out that many gay men are in monogamous relationships, practice safe sex or are celibate.
86,500 people in the UK have HIV. 42 per cent are gay men, 54 per cent are heterosexuals, the majority of whom are Africans according to the Terrance Higgins Trust
A government source told the newspaper: “A complete ban is unfair and discriminatory but we need to protect public health, so the 10-year rule is what is being considered.”
Gay men are prevented from donating blood in a number of countries. In New Zealand, they can donate so long as they have not had gay sex for 10 years. South Africa allows gay men to donate blood with a five year deferral
SABTO also examined whether there should be a lifetime ban on heterosexuals who have had sex with someone who has had sex with anyone from a part of the world where HIV is widespread. It also examined whether the supply of blood for patients of Afro-Carribean origin should be considered.