Knowing that even a single person, a new donor, can make a new difference, I think it's a great piece of news hearing this today that there are more people who are able to make a difference in other people's lives. So I take pride in the fact that this was a change that was initiated by people who wanted to make it happen, rather than as a political piece of commentary. It had to take the work of people who are working inside and outside from the ground and within the organization to make the change, rather than politicians. There was a great deal of disappointment in many people that I have spoken to about this, in the fact that this was a political promise so many years ago and it was never actioned upon. What do you think of the fact that it has taken until 2022 for this to happen? Back as far as 2015, Justin Trudeau vowed to scrap it. And the fact that these questions are being asked to everyone, rather than just to men or to gay men specifically, I feel like that's a great step forward.įor years, the current policy has been called discriminatory. So though they might not be perfect for everyone who wants to donate in the system, they are a lot more equitable to everyone involved. These new questions that they've put forward are concerned about high-risk sexual behaviour, rather than just sexual orientation. I believe that's an appropriate switch to the current questions that we have right now. And if they have, they'll then be required to wait three months to donate. If they answer yes, they will be asked if they have had anal sex. (Azami Adiputera/Shutterstock)Ĭanadian Blood Services says the new criteria will ask donors if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months. Miguel says this new policy means more people will be able to donate blood in Canada, something he says is very much needed. The biggest meaning I'm taking away from this is that Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services are finally recognizing us for the people who we are, rather than just the sexual identity that we go by.Īnd this step towards equality in the blood system and the health-care system overall shows that the work that we were putting into the system is finally paying off, and that we're finally benefiting from being seen as the same as our neighbours, as our friends, as our family members.Ī stock image shows blood being extracted from a donor's arm. What will today's announcement mean for you when it is implemented later this year?
But I've been a proponent for changes in the blood donation policy for as long as I can remember. With the local advisory, I've been there for just under two years. How long have you been working on this issue? Seeing the comments and the feedback that we have brought get understood and forwarded to Health Canada and actioned upon in this way is a really good feeling for many of us in there. Do you feel that your work has contributed to today's change? You've been working on a local advisory committee in Calgary on this issue. It was something that has been a long time coming and something that many of us in the community have been really hoping for to come to fruition a lot sooner rather than later.Īnd you've been doing more than hoping. I'm feeling very elated after seeing the news this morning. Here is part of Miguel's conversation with As It Happens guest host Helen Mann. The government gradually whittled down that abstinence periods to five years, three years, and then three months in 2019.Īdvocates and medical experts have long argued the blood ban policy is outdated, stigmatizing and does not reflect current risk factors. At first, Canada banned blood donations from all men who'd had sex with men since 1977. Instead, all would-be donors, regardless of gender or orientation, will be screened on higher-risk sexual behaviour, such as anal sex with a new partner.Ĭanada's blood ban began in the 1980s at the height of the AIDS crisis, after more than 2,000 Canadians contracted HIV from donated blood. Under the new policy, potential donors will no longer be asked about their gender and sexual orientation. Soon, more gay and bisexual men in Canada, as well as some transgender and nonbinary people, will be able to donate blood too, thanks to a new policy change from Canadian Blood Services (CBS) that LGBTQ advocates say was a long time coming.ĬBS announced Thursday that Health Canada has approved its request to end the policy that restricts men who have sex with men from donating blood for three months after being sexually active. Last year, Miguel was one of the first plasma donors in a pilot program in Calgary and London, Ont., that expanded eligibility for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
Calgary paramedic Glenndl Miguel is keen to roll up his sleeve and donate blood.