no change for gay blood donations

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

August 24, 2006: Reducing the deferral period for blood donation from men having sex with other men (MSM) from five years to six months by the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is just a waste of time, so say gay organisations.

This follows announcement made by SANBS about the developments after meeting with various gay and lesbian organizations including researchers in February 2006 when they discussed resolutions towards the exclusion of MSM. However, SANBS agreed but only could minimize the five-year ban into six months.

While OUT-LGBT-Wellbeing advocacy officer’s  Fikile Vilakazi argued that, without the South African evidence of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, this is a waste of time.

“Whether the deferral period is five years or six months, it is still exclusive and discriminatory. So what is the point? The research has not been done and no one knows what the prevalence is”.

In response, SANBS said that they have approached the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) to conduct a research that would give the South African version of data as this has always been incumbent upon oversea sample.

However SANBS does not know when this will commence.

Speaking for SANBS, leading medical consultant responsible for donor services, Dr Paddy Knox admitted that reducing the deferral period doesn’t make difference for MSM.

But on the contrary he said; “We have modified this period to make it consistent with other high risk behaviours such as people having sex with sex workers or people having multiple partners or having sex for money. We believe that the shorter the deferral period the more accurate the information will be when they are answering their donor questionnaires because it will be easy for people to remember what they did in six months than what they did five years ago.”

She added that; “We have approached the Human Science Research Council, (and) they seemed interested but we cannot say when they will start the research. The new donor criteria (the six months deferral period) will be implemented in October 1 this year.”

SANBS has also embarked on a process of reviewing its donor questionnaire and donor selection, according to representatives. It will continue to defer MSM until such time when results of the research into the HIV/ Aids infections among MSM are available.