Current Petitions

I have huge sympathy with the SNBTS. The crucial point is that, necessary though transfusion and donation are, transfusion must be made as safe as is humanly possible. We know that all sorts of people cannot give blood or are not allowed to give blood. For example, if someone has received a transfusion, they are not allowed to give blood any more because of the minute risk of passing on variant CJD. I have huge sympathy with its position, but I am not saying that we should close the petition because questions perhaps need to be asked of the Government.The Equality Network, which represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, makes one or two interesting points in the summary to its submission. For example, it states:"The UK blood services should be transparent in their annual review of the donor selection criteria."As knowledge increases, the criteria must vary year on year. It is not obvious that that currently happens. Also, perhaps the questions that are asked of blood donors should be more searching. They are currently fairly superficial, so people can say yea or nay truthfully or not. That issue should be examined.The Equality Network also makes the point that while the existing refusal to accept donors from the gay and bisexual male community continues, the blood services should make clear that they know that the existing criteria will, because they are so superficial and broad brush, exclude many gay and bisexual men who are at low risk of HIV and other infections. That is not currently made clear. If we write to the Government, and perhaps also to the SNBTS, we should point out that these matters should be brought more into the open. I do not see the current situation as discrimination against gay and bisexual men. I see it as a sensible approach to public health safety. However, steps should be taken to make the situation clearer.

When we contact the Government, it would be worth asking for its view on the issue with regard to heterosexual males who buy sex. That is a serious point as well.