Red Cross under fire for blood donor 'double standard'
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 16.6.10.
Gay blood donation advocates have slammed the Australian Red Cross Blood Service for "blatant double-standards" after the organisation revealed the reason behind a recent decision to make it easier for people with tattoos and piercings to give blood while maintaining the current blanket ban on gay blood donation.
Following criticism last week of new donor guidelines that reduce from 12 to 6 months the period people who have had tattoos, piercings and acupuncture must wait before giving blood, the Red Cross issued a statement saying the decision was based on "a new screening test for hepatitis B (that) shortens the window period when the infection can exist in the blood without detection".
However, gay blood donation campaigner, Michael Cain, said similar technology for detecting HIV has been used for ten years without any corresponding reduction in the current 12 month period a man who has had sex with another man must wait before he can give blood.
"If improvements in detecting Hepatitis make it safe to ease the restrictions on people with piercings and tattoos then why hasn't similar improvements in HIV detection meant a similar easing of the restrictions on gay and bisexual men", Mr Cain said.
"The Red Cross has again demonstrated it has a blatant double-standard when it comes to gay blood donation."
Evidence given during Mr Cain's gay blood donation case before the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in 2008 from the Red Cross's go-to man on gay blood donation, epidemiologist Dr John Kaldor, showed that a reduction in the deferral period for men who have sex with men from the current 12 months to 6 months would not increase the risk of HIV entering the blood supply.
According to Dr Kaldor,
"...from a purely risk-reduction point of view I don’t think you would do very differently with a six-month period, nine-month period and a one-year period, as long as it could be administered practically."
However, Dr Kaldor supported the current 12 month deferral period on the basis of "public confidence in the blood supply".
Mr Cain said, "if the Red Cross is limiting the amount of safe blood it can collect from gay and bisexual men simply because it is afraid of lingering prejudice in some sections of the public, it is doing Australians in urgent need of blood a great disservice".
"Given the double-standards the Red Cross applies to blood donation and the appearance of prejudice against gay and bisexual men, it is the Red Cross itself which is lowering confidence in the blood supply."
In April the Red Cross announced it will review the current gay blood ban but no further details have been forthcoming.
Last week the US Federal Drug Administration decided to maintain that ban on blood donation from all men who have had sex with other men since 1977.
For a copy of the Red Cross media release about Hep B testing call Kathy Bowlen at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service on 03 9863 2861.
For a copy of the new donor form (which applies nationally but must be approved by all states and territories) visit
http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/di/2010-87/current/pdf/2010-87.pdf
For a copy of the existing donor deferral periods visit
http://www.donateblood.com.au/page.aspx?IDDataTreeMenu=88#question103
As a result of a complaint from Michael Cain against the gay blood ban, the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal found in May 2008 that some gay men have a risk of HIV infection lower than some people currently allowed to donate blood and recommended that the ban should be reviewed. For more visit
http://tglrg.org/more/417_0_1_0_C/
For more details of the proposed Red Cross review visit
http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/5262/Red-Cross-to-review-gay-blood-ban.htm
For more information contact Michael Cain on 0400 734 798 or TGLRG spokesperson, Rodney Croome, on 0409 010 668.