The agency says asking about sexual behaviour rather than sexual orientation will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV.Ĭatherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Services, said the criteria change is science-informed and allows the agency to be more inclusive about who can donate while still ensuring a safe blood supply. If they have, they will need to wait three months after such activity before donating blood. Those who say yes will be asked if they have engaged in higher-risk sex. 30, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last previous months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. The blood service asked Health Canada to allow it to scrap questions about gender or sexuality, and instead base screening on higher-risk sexual behaviour such as anal sex. Health Canada approved the request by Canadian Blood Services to end the policy that restricts homosexuals from donating blood for three months after engaging in gay sex. Trudeau said his government spent C$5 million dollars (USD3.9 million) on research into the safety aspects of changing the blood donation rules and multiple scientific reports showed our blood supply will continue to be safe.
