Gays are allowed to donate blood plasma. This is not yet allowed because of the ‘risk profile’, but according to the Sanquin blood bank, it is safe to use blood plasma from gays as donor material.
Men have a greatly increased risk of blood-borne infections after sexual contact with another man. Sanquin makes no exception between men with a monogamous sexual relationship and men who have sex with more partners.
Gays are already allowed to donate blood, but only four months after the last sexual contact. Stricter requirements apply for giving blood plasma and gay men were not eligible for this.
Remove viruses better
“That was a requirement of the plasma processing industry, but viruses can now be better removed from the plasma with all kinds of new innovations”, says Marloes Metaal of Sanquin in the report. NOS Radio 1 News. The blood bank wants the same requirements to apply for donating plasma as for donating blood.
Blood plasma contains many antibodies and these cannot be artificially reproduced. The antibodies are necessary for the development and production of medicines. The demand for plasma is very high, especially during this corona time, and therefore additional donors are needed.
Sanquin is consulting today with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and gay interest organization COC about the donation of blood plasma by gays and when it will start exactly.
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