On World Blood Donor Day Lorely Burt calls for a review of who can give blood

7.04.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Jun 2006

Lorely Burt MP

On World Blood Donor Day Lorely Burt MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equality, has called for a review of the ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, which also affects the female partners of bisexual men.

Lorely Burt MP said "Anyone who has ever given blood should be applauded for their invaluable service saving the lives of others. The Government needs to look very carefully, however, at whether the current exclusion criteria are the most fair and effective way of ruling out individuals at high risk of HIV and other infections from giving blood."

Lorely further said "This ban can only be justified on medical evidence that inclusion of these individuals substantially increases the transmission risk of HIV and other infections. The Government must review this evidence on a regular basis, considering all the latest screening tests that may make the ban redundant."

Lorely concluded by saying "It seems perverse that the current criteria allow a woman to give blood even if she has had hundreds of sexual partners, but exclude a man who has had safe sexual relations with another man only once many years ago."