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Blood donation for homosexuals

Since last March, the whole world has been living under the constant pressure of an invisible enemy, COVID-19. This health crisis discourages gatherings and, by the same token, non-essential outings. Yet other health problems don't stop or slow down; accidents still happen, and treatment must continue. That's why Héma-Québec reminds us of the importance of blood donation, despite the current pandemic.

Since the 1980s, unfortunately, due to numerous homophobic, biphobic and queerophobic prejudices, this organization has restricted a section of society from contributing to donations. In 2020, any person assigned male at birth (male, queer person, non-binary person, trans woman, etc.) who has had a sexual relationship with another person in the same situation is still required to remain abstinent for a period of three months before donating blood. This regulation has its origins in the emergence of HIV, when this community was the most affected: "HIV prevalence is close to 15 % among this group, compared to well under 1 % among heterosexuals or lesbians". At the Green Party of Quebec, we still don't understand why this discrimination persists. Not only is this deprivation counterproductive, but it encourages aberrant prejudice and stereotyping against homosexuals, bisexuals and people of various genders and sexual orientations.

Since then, things have changed. New data fromPublic Health Agency of Canada show that only one in 200 people from the LGBTQ2+ community is at risk of contracting HIV per year, or 0.5 %. So 99.5 % of the community are not, and shouldn't be abstinent three months before donating blood.

We understand that in the past, more than three decades ago, studies were based on partial or even incomplete information. Conducted in a profoundly homophobic context, these studies included major blurbs, comparable to what we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, there have been cases of coronavirus spreading through blood transfusions. The national standards applied by Héma-Québec are set by Health Canada to protect both donors and recipients. As a result, all blood donations are tested and qualified. These tests can detect cytomegalovirus (CMV) on certain bags, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, West Nile virus (WNV), HTLV and HIV, among others. This solution - testing all donations rather than using highly problematic restrictions - is much more plausible in 2020.

Since 1988, several improvements have been made to the screening process. On the Héma-Québec website, under security measures, it is stated that since January 2001, nucleic acid tests have been carried out on donations. These tests are used to detect HIV, "the virus that causes AIDS".

These changes are important, not only in the name of equality, but also to increase the pool of potential donors. According to Guillaume Savard, founder of Queer For Changethe end of discriminatory measures would lead to a significant increase of 400,000 donors in the country.

As Health Spokesperson and LGBTQ2+ Spokesperson for the Green Party of Quebec, we call on the government to take action against this discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation in relation to blood donations.

We would also like to support the With our bloodThis is an initiative designed to rally people who have been discriminated against to demonstrate that their blood can save lives, without posing a health hazard.

For many years, and especially in these difficult times of pandemic and social and health crisis, we have seen a shortage of blood donations. It's our duty to remedy this situation, since everyone's contribution is vital.

 

Valérie Fortier, Health Spokesperson

Vincent J.Carbonneau, LGBQT2+ Spokesperson

 

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