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Updated 4.30pm
THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT Ireland’s total ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood is to be lifted was today welcomed by gay rights activists, though they pointed out that the country’s blood donation rules are still discriminatory.
Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed he is accepting recommendations by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTF) to move to a one year deferral period.
This will mean that gay and bisexual men will have to wait one year before being able to donate blood after last sexual contact, and that anyone with a history of a sexually transmitted infection will be required to wait for five years.
It will bring Ireland into line with a similar policy set to commence in Northern Ireland in September, and which has already been enacted in the rest of the UK.
Progress
Speaking to TheJournal.ie today Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen), Brian Sheehan, said the move was “very significant progress” and long overdue.
However, he said the new system will “still leave certain people discriminated against because of who they are”.
“So if you’re a gay man in a committed relationship you can never donate blood unless you’re celibate,” he said.
The IBTF has long accepted that the ban is discriminatory against gay and bisexual men – it still is discriminating against gay and bisexual men, but we see this as a very significant step in getting rid of all traces of discrimination.
Sheehan believes that easing this ban, which was “based on 30-year-old views”, will now result in greater numbers donating – and not just the gay and bisexual men who are now allowed to.
“Some people simply felt the system was unjust and were refraining from donating because they thought it was so outdated.”
Implications
Minister Harris has said his department will continue to work with the IBTS so that the implications of lifting the ban could be “explained to all potential blood donors, recipients of blood products and the general public”.
No date has yet been set for when the policy will change.
A ban on men who have sex with men donating blood has been in place in Ireland since the 1980s when it was introduced as an emergency measure at the height of the AIDs epidemic.
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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Where is the rest of the story? Is that it? There was more information in the
Sub heading than in the few paragraphs below.
Hi Niall,
If you click on the slideshow, each slide has a caption that explains a different point. Can you see the slideshow?
If not, let us know what device you are viewing it on. It’s working on desktop and I’ve just checked it on iOs
and Android and it seems fine there too?
I’m still getting used to this new media way of viewing information! Sorry guys thanks
No problem!
Ummm… What’s it got to do with the Internet? It’s about a pirate TV channel. These were pretty common place all across the US in the 70s & 80s.
It was an absolute SHITE film then and now!! [
Apart from Debbie Harry that is]. Its one of those films you can take whatever meanings you want to out of it or none at all.I took from it that whoever wrote it was on drugs when he wrote the script.
Very weak connections considering the movie focuses on the cathode ray tube being mystical. The addiction and effects are based on a scientist experimental beams.
Not exactly predictions to anything.
Scanners. Cronebergs masterpiece. Eastern Promises underated too
cronenberg is a body horror master, crash, the fly, rabid, scanners etc,etc.
I have loved his recent progression to more drama like material like eastern promise, history of violence & a dangerous method. didn’t like cosmopolis
history of violence was fantastic too!
Debbie Harry yes yes and yes! The movie was terrible.
Long live the new flesh!
Might be a Sh1t movie but a hell of a lot better then any Iris made Movie. and I wonder where internet comes into play it this story.
I will read over it and over it never know it might be in there somewhere in hidden files.
Better than The Snapper? To name but one!
It’s medication time Declan, open wide and swallow.
I think you’ll find Michelle he said ‘Iris made’ One can only assume he was referring to East German filmmaker Iris Gusner
Furthermore: could we all stop talking about the Snapper please? Yes, its just about better than Videodrome but then a documentary about whale sh*te would be too.
Tony la plonk
declan, exactly what is your problem with Irish movies????
you have yet to give any reasons, so stop trolling!!!
@ Michelle: snappy comeback
There’s hardly any link between Videodrome and the internet.
Brian O’Blivion. That about says it all. I expect the author of this wrote it while watching porn with his free hand.
have your say