IBTS upholds ban on gay blood donors

The lifetime ban on blood donations from sexually active gay men is to remain in Ireland despite an easing of regulations in other European countries.

Justifying the restriction imposed by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS), Minister for Health James Reilly said it was based not on sexuality or orientation but on the fact that there were increased levels of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ireland.

More than two years ago, the British authorities relaxed the lifetime ban on MSM donors to a prohibition on donations where the person has had MSM sex in the previous 12 months.

Finland announced last December that it was following suit.

HIV infection
However, Dr Reilly said the rates of HIV infection in MSM in Ireland were disproportionately high, considering that MSM accounted for a relatively small proportion of the population.

According to the most recent full-year data from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 341 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in Ireland in 2012.

About half of these cases involved MSM and this proportion has been increasing since 2004. This trend continued in the first half of 2013.

All blood donations are tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and human T-lymphotropic virus.

Dr Reilly said the IBTS kept its eligibility criteria for donating under review.