Chile’s Health Ministry
updates blood-donation criteria.
By Elizabeth Trovall (santiagotimes.cl , 25/4/2013)
By Elizabeth Trovall (santiagotimes.cl , 25/4/2013)
The Health Ministry
lifted a ban on gay and lesbian blood donations Wednesday. The change in
restrictions on blood donations was made after a year of lobbying by Movilh, an
LGBTQ activist group in Chile.
"As of today, sex
between people of the same sex ceases to be considered a danger, disease or
infection by the Health Ministry,” Movilh said in a public statement Wednesday.
Movilh also said it saw the changes in blood-donation criteria as a historical moment for the LGBTQ movement, alongside the passage of the anti-discrimination legislation enacted in July 2012.
The change in blood donation restrictions no longer denies homosexual potential donors outright.
Before Wednesday, potential blood donors would be asked their sexual orientation as a part of a questionnaire that would decide whether or not their blood was viable. Anyone identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual was prohibited from donating blood.
The current language in the questionnaire now only restricts donors with a history of risky sexual behavior, regardless of the sexual orientation of the participant.
Risky sexual conduct is defined by the Health Ministry as sex with more than one partner in the previous 12 months.
Movilh also said it saw the changes in blood-donation criteria as a historical moment for the LGBTQ movement, alongside the passage of the anti-discrimination legislation enacted in July 2012.
The change in blood donation restrictions no longer denies homosexual potential donors outright.
Before Wednesday, potential blood donors would be asked their sexual orientation as a part of a questionnaire that would decide whether or not their blood was viable. Anyone identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual was prohibited from donating blood.
The current language in the questionnaire now only restricts donors with a history of risky sexual behavior, regardless of the sexual orientation of the participant.
Risky sexual conduct is defined by the Health Ministry as sex with more than one partner in the previous 12 months.
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