Gay and bisexual men should soon be able to donate blood more easily in Switzerland. A plan is met with criticism.
Blood donation SRK Switzerland announced on Monday that Swissmedic will ask for a change in the criteria for blood donation: one proposal provides for full equality with heterosexual people.
The second is for men to be rejected if they have had homosexual relations in the last four months. Conversely, this means four months of abstinence before you can give blood. Pink Cross criticizes this as unnecessary discrimination. Together with the Network and the Swiss AIDS Federation, the development is welcomed in principle and Swissmedic is asked to confirm the second variant without discriminating against queer men.
Men are currently only allowed to donate blood if they have not had sex with men in the last 12 months.
Pink Cross has launched a petition against the ban on blood donation in 2020 (MANNSCHAFT reports). The twelve-month waiting period only applies to MSM, everyone else can donate blood after four months of abstinence or if they are in a stable relationship.
In Germany, blood donation organizations and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Health Minister Drese have called for more blood donations this summer and have warned of a shortage (MANNSCHAFT reports).
Last year, the Netherlands changed its guidelines for blood donation in relation to MSM (TEAM reported).
