The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday lifted a three decade ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood for fears of HIV transmission. The monumental move is being hailed as a victory by anti-discrimination activists, and now there are calls for Israel to do the same.
Shelly Yacimovich, a Zionist Union MK, urged the Israeli Health Ministry to end the prohibition of accepting the blood from non-heterosexual men. She argues that, based on Israeli AIDS statistics, there is no justification for Israel to prevent homosexuals and bisexuals from donating their blood.
The Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service, has said that it does not have a stance on the issue and relies on experts and policy makers to decide such matters.
The US will now allow non-heterosexual men to donate blood if they have had no sexual contact with another man for 12 months. The decision was made based on an analysis of the latest science, which shows that a lifetime ban is not necessary.
While many have hailed the move as a victory, a number of gay rights groups have argued that it is still discriminatory.
Earlier this year, an IDF officer protested the disposal of his blood after an anonymous tip-off suggested that he was gay.
