Marisol Touraine declared to lift the exclusion of blood donation from men who have sex with men (MSM) with absolute respect for the safety of recipients.
In spring 2016, whole blood donation will be open to men who have sex with men after a 12-month contraindication period. And, men who, in the past 4 months, have not had sex with a man or have had only one partner, will be able to donate their plasma.
If the 12-month surveillance study does not reveal any major risks of contamination, “the rules relating to the donation of MSM will be brought closer to the general rules”, recalls Marisol Touraine.
This decision confirms a majority position in France. Indeed, “an amendment in principle calling for an end to discrimination against blood donation on the grounds of sexual orientation was adopted in the bill to modernize our health system. It was voted unanimously in the National Assembly and adopted in accordance with the Senate ”, specifies the Minister.
Blood donation: what is it for?
No treatment or synthetic drug can yet replace blood products. Irreplaceable and vital, blood products are indicated in two main cases: emergency situations, and chronic needs, which concern patients that only a blood transfusion can help to heal or alleviate.
“Giving blood is an act of generosity, of citizenship, which cannot be conditioned by sexual orientation. With respect for the absolute safety of patients, it is today a taboo, a discrimination which has been lifted ”, declared the Minister.
Read also:
Infographic: the conditions to be able to donate blood
I give my platelets
Bone marrow donation: how does it work?
