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There's been a quiet revolution in South Africa's blood donation policy as it applies to gay men.
After extensive consultations and a two-year review of regulations, changes became effective on the 5th of May regarding blood donations by gay men.
Dr Karin van der Bergh, of the SA Blood Services in the Eastern Cape, says while the same criteria now apply to gay men as it would towards heterosexual couples, there is one rider in the questionnaire that gay male donors must complete.
She says gay men have to be in a monogamous relationship for at least six months before they can donate blood.
"This is not a SANBS policy change. This is a national blood policy change."
"Over the years there's always been questions around the fact that, in South Africa, and this not just SANBS but also the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service, have precluded men who have sex with men from donating blood. And, there has been questions raised and we have written editorials to various publications reviewing the process and over the past two years there has been a concerted effort on both sides (SANBS and WPBTS) to review this policy to see whether it still has scientific merit to preclude men who have sex with men from donating blood."
"And, after an extensive process that lasted almost two years, the two blood transfusion services had engaged people from various organisations, including Right to Care, the SA HIV Clinicians Society, the Aids Board of SA, and it was then proposed to the National Department of Health that the policy that specifically precludes men who have sex with men from donating blood be reviewed."
"As from the 5th of May, 2014, the SA National Blood Service, has then implemented the change in the policy. So, what basically has happened is that exactly the same criteria that applies to heterosexual donors will now in future apply to men who have sex with men, or gay men. You need to have been in a monogamous stable relationship with a single partner for at least six months."
"So, essentially, the only change in the questionnaire is the one to men asking them if they had sex with other men. Other than that exactly the same requirements now applies to gay and heterosexual donors. So, gay men in stable relationships, where they have been with the same partner for more than six months, where they believe that their partners was faithful to them and that nobody is paying or receiving payment for sex, are now allowed to donate blood."
