blooddonations

The Canadian Federation of Students continues to advocate for a system that is not based on identity, but rather behaviours in regards to Canadian Blood Services' deferral towards men who have sex with other men. (MSM)

Up until a couple of years ago, Canadian Blood Services had a lifetime donation ban from men who have had sex with men, anytime after the AIDS outbreak of 1977. This was put in place in 1985 by Health Canada until 2013. Currently in place is a MSM deferral, where any man who has sex with another man within a five year span is not eligible to donate blood.

National Executive with the Canadian Federation of Students, Travis Perry says this policy was given due to the current situation at the time, which included high rates of HIV and AIDS being detected, lack of knowledge about HIV and AIDS, and a lack of technology for detecting it.

"So this policy was introduced, and it was generally accepted even by people in the community - the folks who were men who have sex with men, but since then, the technology and the science behind HIV detection in blood has progressed quite a bit," he said. "We've switched the science behind testing. We now use a test called the nucleic acid test, which shortens the window of time from when you are infected by HIV and AIDS and when it can be detected."

He says while Canadian Blood Services biggest concern is new incidences in which a donor can be infected without any detection, this nucleic acid test allows for a shortened window of time between three and 21 days after exposure.

"What's concerning is that it's not really based on science," said Perry in regards to the MSM deferral.

"The fact of the matter is that we do have science and technology that are able to detect this much quicker than in the past, and so it's simply based on outdated stereotypes and is discriminatory and homophobic towards folks in that community," Perry added. "In our opinion, it's not really a change that reflects the technology and testing that's out there. It was a step taken by Canadian Blood Services by the pressure of the Canadian Federation of Students and a number of other organizations. However, a five year deferral is simply still unacceptable, it's still discriminatory, and it's not taking into consideration the fact that we do have that new testing that has shortened the window of time for detecting new incidences of HIV or AIDS."

In order to donate blood to Canadian Blood Services, a person must fill out a questionnaire to determine eligibility, though all donations are tested before they are accepted. 

Director of Donor Relations for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories, Susan Matsumoto, says Canadian Blood Services does review their donor eligibility criteria on a regular basis, but keep these categories as a way to narrow down donors to those who will pass the screening test.

"We certainly have other criteria that means different people aren't able to donate for different lengths of time. For instance, if you've had a recent tattoo, you're not able to donate for six months, so there are certainly other criteria that exclude individuals to donate, but bottom line is our ultimate concern is safety for the patient who are the recipients of the blood products that we provide," she said. "The restrictions that exist around the world are different everywhere, I think because medical backgrounds are different. Certainly, the United States as an example still has a lifetime ban. We did reduce this two years ago, and just so you are aware, we currently are  undergoing another review of sort of scientific evidence that exists out there, as well as consultation with various stakeholder groups."

Matsumoto adds there are a number of ways to support the blood system even if you are ineligible to donate blood, using their stem cell program as an example.

Although Canadian Blood Services holds deferrals against other individuals, Perry says the Federation is fighting for a system that is not based on identity by inquiring about sexual preferences, but what behaviours donors are undertaking.

"There are certain sexual behaviours that are at higher risk of contraction of HIV or AIDS, so what we're advocating for is that we make a change and have the questionaire based on those behaviours as opposed to individuals identities," he explained.

The Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian AIDS Society and EGALE Canada Human Rights Trust continue to call on the Ministry of Health, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec to put an end to the lifetime blood ban for men who have sex with men, but many places around the world are taking similar steps in eliminating these policies.

In February 2010, Sweden reduced its MSM deferral from a permanent ban to a 12-month deferral period, joining the nations of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Hungary and Japan. South Africa currently defers MSM donors for six months.

France, Spain, Italy, Russia and Portugal have adopted blood-donor policies that measure risk against a set of behaviours, rather than the gender of a persons sexual partner. According to the AIDS Committee of Toronto, Switzerland is moving in a similar direction.

With Canadian Blood Services' current policies in place, only three per cent of Canadians donate on a regular basis. Meanwhile, the need for blood continues to increase as new medical procedures come about.

In October 2008, Canadian Blood Services was forced to ration its blood shipments to hospitals due to a 40 per cent drop in donations in the two months prior, and just last September, Canada's blood supply hit a six-year low.

While nobody challenges the fact that HIV-positive individuals should not donate blood, the American Red Cross has previously responded with "The risk of not getting a blood transfusion when it’s needed is infinitely greater than the risk of infection from receiving one."

Today in Swift Current there is a blood donor clinic held at the Bridgeway Community Church, and registration for donation is encouraged. Appointments can be booked online or through the GiveBlood app. To donate in other ways, visit www.blood.ca.