(Ottawa) Canadian Blood Services wants to lift the lifetime ban on sex workers donating blood to make blood donation more equitable.
Posted at 7:56 a.m.
The blood donation service this month recommended that Health Canada lift a lifetime ban on donation by people who have taken money or drugs in exchange for sex.
The ban, introduced 45 years ago, is set to be replaced with a one-year “deferral” after paid sex work.
The move follows the end of the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, which took place last month and was welcomed by MPs and LGBTQ advocates.
Canadian Blood Services said it would be willing to recommend that Health Canada reduce the wait time for sex workers to donate blood to less than a year, but wanted to make changes gradually.
The length of time gay people could not donate blood was gradually reduced before being scrapped altogether last month.
Canadian Blood Services spokeswoman Catherine Lewis said she has called on Health Canada to end the lifetime ban imposed on sex workers from donating blood in recent weeks, after conducted research to ensure that the recommendation would ensure the safety of the blood supply.
She said the review was part of a drive to ensure blood donation policies were more inclusive and fair.
“At the moment, we are considering a year, but we will continue to study it. It won’t stop if [le délai] is reduced to one year,” she added.
The current lifetime ban on sex workers donating blood also extends to people who have had sex with a sex worker or exchanged money or drugs for sexual relations. This policy is also under review.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promised to scrap the ban on gay men donating blood during the 2015 election campaign, but it took years and five million worth of safety research before this was recommended. at Health Canada.
Canadian Blood Services, which runs the blood donation program, said it was confident the ban on sex workers donating blood could take place by fall if approved by Health Canada.
The blood service is moving towards screening based on high-risk sexual behaviors such as anal sex.
By the end of September, all potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
If a potential donor answers yes, they will then be asked if they have had anal sex with any of these partners. If this is the case, he will have to wait three months since this activity before donating blood.
The blood agency believes that asking questions about sexual behavior will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV that can be transmitted by transfusion. All blood donations are tested and checked before being given to patients.