P-05-995 Freedom to Donate Blood

P-05-995 Freedom to Donate Blood

This petition was submitted by Arron Glyn Bevan-John having collected a total of 2,726 signatures.

Text of Petition:                     

In Wales gay and bisexual men are not allowed to give blood – unless they abstain from sex for three months. We would like to campaign for ‘Blood Without Bias’ giving people ‘Freedom to Donate’. This petition asks the Welsh Government to scrap the three-month deferral period, and to introduce an individualised, risk-based approach to assess sexual behaviour, rather than a simplistic process where people are grouped together based on their sexual orientation and are banned from donating blood. This is the best way to ensure that those who want to donate, and can do so safely, are able to. It is a public health issue and one of inequality, that we do not have enough blood in our blood banks and yet we choose to discriminate against a whole group of people based on their sexual orientation. There is only one solution to a national shortage of blood; remove the deferral period and stop discriminating against gay and bisexual men.

Status

This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 15/12/2020.

The Committee considered further correspondence on the petition and the announcement made on 14 December that a more individualised donor assessment will be introduced from summer 2021, with the result that LGBTQ+ men will be able to donate blood. The Committee agreed to congratulate the petitioner on the success achieved through their campaign and close the petition.

Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.

It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 29/09/2020.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Gower
• South Wales West

Further information

• The Petitions Committee homepage
• View all open petitions
• View all petitions the committee is currently considering
• How the petitions system works