Green, asked at the beginning of december, with the support of the Dutch political party D66, and the VVD in order to study the possibility of gay men in the future, the blood to be donated. Why should gay men, are usually not advised to give blood?
the Sponsor is a Member of the Dutch parliament, Corinne Ellemeet (Green). It was with the support of her party, D66, and VVD on the 4th of december to the prime minister, mr Bruins (Medical Care), or he is trying to determine whether the bi – and homosexual men of blood are allowed to donate.
At this time, these men to only donate blood if they have a minimum of four months to have sex with a man. According to the Ellemeet the minister to investigate whether men are in a monogamous relationship with a man, but the blood must be donated, even if they’re having sex.
Why should there be now, after four months of waiting? < / p> Hans Zaaijer, virologist is in order to the medical center and head of the department of bloedoverdraagbare diseases of the blood bank is Responsible for, points out that there is a time limit of four months, because there is no contamination, not all infectious diseases are in the blood to be detected. Tainted blood, in this period of time have already been contagious for a person who has a blood transfusion is given.
if you are one of the disease which is Responsible for on the test, the period of time when the disease may not be evident for four months. This is why we need such a long time to wait.
Why is this a rule for gay people? < / p> Why is this period of time of four months for gay men and not straight men? Having unprotected sex can cause you to become infected with communicable diseases such as hiv / aids. This is true for gay men, but also for the heteromannen and women. Just the chance of some infectious diseases in gay men, it is a lot bigger.
In 2018, the diagnosis of hiv for the first time in 1, 645 men who have sex with men, according to Zaaijer. For heterosexuals, this is 1 in 75.000. This is borne out by figures from the HIV Monitoring Foundation. In addition, according to Zaaijer, a number of other infectious diseases, it is much more among men who have sex with men.
Why monogamous gay men not to donate?
But, if a man is monogamous, and to be together with a person who, at all relevant conditions being tested, then he can do this diseases are no longer up? Why should gay people for whom this is not a blood donation?
finally, Zaaijer states that are in a committed relationship “is not a reliable criterion for a safe blood supply.” Zaaijer, refers to a Dutch study from 2011 which found that well over one-quarter of the cases, it is the source of new hiv infections among men who have sex with men.
the Research to the risks of blood donation, by bi – and homosexual men
There is research to be done for or in homosexual men, in some cases, however, the blood might give. In 2018 and beyond, published by Dutch scientists in a study involving 583 men who have sex with men, and 583 men who have sex with men took part in it.
the research was that participating in gay and bisexual men with low-risk sexual behavior is no more relevant to bloedoverdraagbare infectious diseases were current blood donors. Gay and bisexual men with high-risk sexual behavior had a higher chance of having these diseases.
The researchers write that the study restrictions. For example, there are not enough men for firm conclusions can be drawn. The scientists write that the study raises for further research into the suitability for blood donation for men who have sex with men in low-risk behaviours.
we Know what it would mean to the blood, as gay men be allowed to donate? < / p> What exactly would that mean as a monogamous gay men, however, the blood is allowed to donate, it is not well-studied. We do not know whether, and how, more often, with the relevant infectious diseases, contaminated blood could be transferred if the gays are allowed to donate.
It is Responsible for, and any other foreign blood banks, sperm banks have not been able to research, and to think that it is well tested, and without that it might have a negative impact on the blood supply.
There are some countries in which men who have sex with men is not exclude the possibility of the donation and, where there are, for example, asks whether a person having unprotected sex you’ve had. According to Zaaijer going to the findings in other countries, not just in the Netherlands. It’s kind of infectious disease, and the groups in which these diseases are common vary from country to country.
In Europe, bi-sexual, and gay men are not excluded from blood donation, for example in Spain and Italy. In these countries, according to Zaaijer and more cases of hiv-infected donatiebloed than in the uk. However, whether this is because of the gay and bi-sexual men, since the blood must be donated, and that we don’t know.
