Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) wants to end discrimination against homosexual men when donating blood. He emerges from an amendment to the law on transfusions, which he refers to the “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland”. “Sexual orientation and gender identity shouldn’t be criteria for exclusion or deferral,” he says.
With the amendment, Lauterbach is implementing a provision of the 2021 coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. “We are lifting the ban on blood donation for men who have sex with men and for trans people, if also required by law,” it said.
Donating blood is not a matter of sexual orientation
With the planned amendment to the law, the German Medical Association should be obliged to adjust its guidelines for blood donation accordingly within four months. “Whether someone can become a blood donor is a matter of risk behavior, not sexual orientation. There must be no hidden discrimination on this matter either,” Lauterbach told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland. The German Medical Association must finally understand what has long been a consensus in social life.
According to the relevant guidelines of the German Medical Association, men who have sex with men can only donate blood if they have not had sex with “a new or more than one sexual partner” in the past four months. For all other people, however, the four-month ban only applies to “frequently changing partners”.
The German Medical Association must change the guidelines
According to the draft amendment, it is now stipulated that the sexual risk leading to an exclusion or a postponement from donation can only be determined “on the basis of the individual behavior of the person willing to donate”, reports the ” Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”.
After the amendment to the law, which is expected to come into force on April 1, the German Medical Association has four months to draw up a new guideline in agreement with the state-run Paul Ehrlich Institute.
DRK Blood Donation Service West is in urgent need of blood donations. A press release from the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows that due to the current high number of sick leaves, less blood is being donated. The blood donation service invites the population to donate blood at short notice. Appointments can be made at www.blutspende.jetzt get booked. Due to the tense situation, donations can also be made spontaneously without an appointment. (phi)
