'Huge' equality leap as partial ban on gay and bisexual blood donors lifted

A campaigner who vowed to repay the eight pints of blood that saved his grandfather's life says the policy is "much fairer".

Stephen Craib, 42, from Carshalton, who was hospitalised for eight days with Covid-19 in March, makes his 15th plasma donation to the NHS Blood and Transplant Convalescent Plasma Programme at the Twickenham plasma pop-up centre in London, making him England's largest convalescent plasma donor.
Image: The rules will be changed from summer 2021
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A partial ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood will be lifted in a move campaigners have hailed as a "huge" step forward for equality that will help save those in need of life-saving operations.

The overhaul is designed to move away from a policy of blanket restrictions based on sexual orientation and to one of individual risk-based assessment.

Currently, the rules prevent men who have had oral or anal sex with another man in the previous three months from donating blood.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: An NHS blood donor van is seen outside St Thomas Hospital in Westminster, where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has now been transferred to the ICU after showing persistent symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19 for 10 days, on April 7, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. At 7pm an announcement was made that the Prime Minister had been moved to intensive care encase a ventilator is required, in London on April 7, 2020.The country is in its third week of lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus with people urged to stay at home and only leave the house for basic food shopping, exercise once a day and essential travel to and from work. There have been around 60,000 reported cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the United Kingdom and over 5,000 deaths. (Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images)
Image: The move will make for a 'fairer blood donation system', says Terrence Higgins Trust

This affects those in monogamous relationships partnered or married for years or even decades, because of the old-fashioned assumption that gay and bisexual men were too risky.

But the law will be changed across the UK to allow anyone who has only slept with one other person in three months to donate. And it will bring heterosexual people into line with the LGBT+ community by applying the policy equally to people of all sexual orientations.

Ethan Spibey, 28, set up the campaign group Freedom To Donate after his grandfather Ken needed eight pints of blood for a life-saving operation back in 2010.

"I made a promise that I would repay a donor who saved my granddad's life," Mr Spibey told Sky News.

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Ethan Spibey, founder of the Freedom to Donate campaign, with his grandfather Ken (left)
Image: Ethan Spibey's grandfather Ken needed eight pints of blood for an operation

"I remember looking at the blood donation information sheet - when I wasn't out to my parents - and realising I wasn't able to. It made me feel guilty and sad.

"That's why Freedom To Donate started, because we were so passionate about this. We said we would never stop until this policy was introduced to let more gay and bi men perform this generous, life-saving act."

Mr Spibey said his grandfather was "like a second father to me" but has since passed away, adding: "He never got to see this moment, but I made a promise to him and it only spurred me on more."

After six years of campaigning, he said the new approach - due to come into effect from summer 2021 - is "much, much fairer" and a "huge" step forward for equality.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22:  Pride Flags decorate Christopher Park on June 22, 2020 in New York City. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, this year's march had to be canceled over health concerns. The annual event, which sees millions of attendees, marks it's 50th anniversary since the first march following the Stonewall Inn riots.on June 22, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images,)
Image: The ban on donations from men who have sex with men was lowered from 12 to three months back in 2017

But he said to be even better, the government should move to let people donate who have had sex with multiple partners within the three-month period but use protection.

"The policy has always been based on honesty - you either trust people to be honest or or you don't so why don't you trust them to be honest about how they have sex?" Mr Spibey told Sky News.

Also, those on PREP - an antiviral drug that protects people against catching HIV - will still not be allowed to donate.

Su Brailsford, associate medical director at NHS Blood and Transplant, promised the policy change recommended by the Advisory Committee for the Safety of Blood Tissues and Organs "will keep blood just as safe".

"This is just the beginning of a more individualised way of assessing blood donation eligibility and we recognise that more work needs to be done," they added.

"FAIR [a steering group reporting to the Department of Health and Social Care] has also made a recommendation to government that further evidence-based reviews are needed for other deferrals such as how we determine risk based on travel."

Dr Michael Brady, medical director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said other welcome changes include "the differentiation between oral and anal sex, and for those whose partner is HIV positive and virally suppressed due to six months or more of adherence to treatment".

Political leaders across the UK welcomed the move, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock saying it will "allow many more people, who have previously been excluded by donor selection criteria, to take the opportunity to help save lives".

And Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford called it a "momentous announcement".

"Blood donation can change people's lives and it is only right that everyone who can give blood, should be given the opportunity to help others," he added.

The rules on blood donation were last changed in 2017, when the ban on men who had sex with men was lowered from 12 months to 3 months.