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Kat Smithson, Director of Policy at National AIDS Trust, said:
“From 14 June more gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood safely because of changes to eligibility based on a more individualised assessment of risk. We participated in the FAIR steering group which made recommendations [1] that led to these changes and we’re delighted they’re being brought in next month. We’ve long campaigned for an eligibility process that ensures more people can give blood safely, is fair, and is based on the latest science.
“This is only a first step in achieving a more inclusive approach and we now want to see other exclusionary criteria reviewed urgently to ensure donors are being asked questions that successfully identify higher risk, without unnecessarily excluding people or groups. The ongoing lifetime exclusion for anyone who has ever injected drugs is one example.”