Varadkar calls for change to blood donation rules for gay men
The Tanaiste has said it is “incongruous” that blood is having to be imported from Britain when some groups here, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), face restrictions on donating.
The Tánaiste has said it is “incongruous” that blood is having to be imported from Britain when some groups here, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), face restrictions on donating.
Since 2017, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) has had a one-year deferral for men who have sex with other men in order for them to donate blood. However, in the summer, IBTS announced it was importing a bulk consignment of blood from the UK due to a shortage in supply.
It has been reported that the supply of some blood types dropped so low there were fears of widespread cancellation of medical procedures. Gay men can donate blood in the UK. Therefore, Ireland is importing blood from gay men while deferring men in Ireland for a year.
"Yes, I’d support a change in rules moving towards an individual risk assessment, away from excluding any particular group, like LGBT people among others, but I would hold to the principle that this should be a scientific, expert decision made by IBTS not a political one," Mr Varadkar told the .
"It certainly seems incongruous now that we have to import blood products from the UK.
"At the time, IBTS argued that precautionary principle should apply and we had enough blood and there was no need to take new risks but that argument doesn’t seem strong anymore.
"I'm very conscious that this matter should be led by the science. The health of patients must come first.
"It’s the person who gets the blood or blood product who takes the risk, not the person who donates. We always have to remember that. But, looking at other countries, it does seem that the most recent science supports a change of approach."
The Department of Health has established the Blood Donation Deferral Surveillance Group to assess the impact of the changes in the blood donor deferral policy.
As a part of this assessment, the Department is gathering statistical information relating to blood donors and infection rates between 2013 and 2020.
The Group will be chaired by a representative from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and will report its findings to the Minister.
Documents released under Freedom of Information detailed that the group got the Canadian Blood Service to provide an update of its experience of changing the MSM blood deferral policy from 12 months to three months.
Ireland has just 2,400 #plateletdonors and we are always looking for new donors to start giving #platelets. You can call our clinics in #Dublin (tel; 01 4322833) and #Cork (tel; 021 4807429) and make an appt. Check your eligibilty online https://t.co/HE8sMOLkZ0 #GivePlatelets pic.twitter.com/qpwAeDxQTj
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Meanwhile, the Tánaiste's office requested a copy of the review in July.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health said: "IBTS constantly keeps all deferral policies under active review, in the light of scientific evidence, emerging infections and international evidence, to ensure the ongoing safety of blood and the products derived from it.
"The IBTS established an independent ‘Advisory Committee for Social Behaviours Review’ to review the evidence base for donor selection, deferral and exclusion in Ireland in relation to social behaviours that may increase the risk of acquiring specific blood-borne infections. The Department will be engaging with the IBTS in relation to this work."
Tomás Heneghan, who travels to Northern Ireland to donate blood, took a High Court action to compel the Government to change the restrictions and says the shift in view from the Tánaiste is welcome.
"As a donor, my focus is a robust and safe system that works for everyone," he said.
"My preference is a system that keeps updating its policy as things change at every step, instead of 10-20 year gaps to review."
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