Since July 2016, homosexual men can theoretically donate blood, but this possibility remained subject to a period of sexual abstinence of four months, which had to be declared during the preliminary interview.
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Blood donation will be open to homosexuals without conditions. From March 16, there will be “no more reference to sexual orientation”, in the questionnaires prior to donating blood, explained Tuesday, January 11 Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health, during a press point. “Anyone will arrive as an individual donor”, he clarified. This decision is part ofns the extension of the bioethics law and of a “political will” Olivier Véran, an order will be signed Tuesday, announced the Ministry of Health.
Since July 2016, homosexual men have theoretically been able to donate blood, a gesture that had been prohibited for them since 1983 because of the risk of transmission of AIDS. But this possibility remained until now subject to a period of sexual abstinence (first set at one year, before being reduced in 2019 to four months) which had to be declared during the preliminary interview.
“The extreme vigilance of the health authorities allows an evolution of the conditions of access to blood donation”, explained the Director General of Health, who does not expect an increase in the residual risk of transmission of HIV by transfusion as a result of this measure. “This level of risk has been falling steadily for decades”, he recalled.
A new criterion will be added to the questionnaire preceding the blood donation: the donor must declare whether he is taking treatment for pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis to HIV (Prep), in which case the donation will be postponed four months later.
A certain number of questions will also aim to detect possible individual risky behaviors (sexuality with several partners, under drugs, etc.), but sexual orientation will no longer be mentioned. “These are questions donors are already used to”, said Jérôme Salomon.