This January 18, 2023, the independent deputy gabriel silva presented to the plenary National Assembly the bill that eliminates discriminatory measures for the blood donation in the national territory.
In his opinion, this project highlights the measures that exist in Panama on the homosexual community when donating blood voluntarily.
He specified that there are limitations that prevent the population of the country from donating blood, but apart from those restrictions such as age, health risks, weight or chronic diseases, even there are meaningless limitations in the country such as the one that prevents people who have sexual relations with others of the same sex, by a resolution that dictates that “can’t donate blood” for the rest of their lives.
Silva refers to the Resolution No. 374 of September 7, 2001 of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), which in its article 29 establishes the limitation.
According to the deputy, this regulation is obsolete, due to Existing technology can detect HIV and mitigate the risk of contagion, adding that it still exists due to discrimination against homosexual people.
He gave an example that in countries like Canada, Italy, Colombia, Bolivia, Costa Rica and others no longer have this limitation, and have not had an increase in HIV transmission through blood donation.
