IBTS to introduce blood donation changes soon

The introduction of changes to the deferral time for gay men to donate blood has been welcomed by a Leeside Senator.

Speaking to the Cork Independent, Senator Jerry Buttimer said it makes no sense that Ireland is importing blood from the UK where gay men are free to donate blood, but they can’t do it here.

He said: “The process has been going on a long time and hopefully change is imminent. We're importing blood and there's a cohort of the population who can't donate blood which makes no sense

“There are urgent appeals at different times of the year for blood and it makes no sense to me that, with the changes that have taken place in the world of science and medicine, that gay men can't donate blood.”

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) will soon introduce changes to a range of deferral policies including those relating to men who have sex with men (MSM) following a report to the IBTS Board by an independent advisory group established by the IBTS to review such deferrals, while maintaining the safety of the blood supply.

The group was chaired by Professor Mary Horgan and membership included IBTS Donor Consultants, Infectious Disease Physicians, Public Health Physicians, an Epidemiologist, and the IBTS Risk and Resilience Manager.

Stakeholders were represented by participants from the Irish Haemophilia Society, Sickle and Thalassemia Ireland and HIV Ireland.

The changes agreed by the board will be introduced in two phases with the initial phase being introduced by the end of March 2022 and the second phase being introduced later in 2022.

The initial phase will reduce the existing 12 month deferral for MSM to four months.

This is an interim measure while the IBTS introduces new technology, to replace the existing paper health and lifestyle questionnaire (HLQ) with an electronic questionnaire known as the Self-Assessment Health History (SAHH).

Senator Buttimer said: “Many of us would love to do it, many of us have campaigned to make a change and it will bring a new level of supply.

“It should have happened sooner but none the less, the changes must be welcomed. The end result is what we all want to achieve.

“Even though it might have taken more time than we had hoped, the fact that it's happening now is important.”