Fairer blood rules

Editor,

Your item concerning Paul Te Pue, who was turned away when he sought to donate blood because of his sexual preferences [ KMN, May 8] made interesting reading.

In fact this matter is already the subject of a reference to the Human Rights Commission by this organisation some three years ago.

It is currently adjourned pending some overseas developments which will potentially change the whole manner in which the criteria for blood donation are administered.

In the meantime, your readers may be interested to know that the current regulations date from a period when little was known about the origin of HIV AIDS and the means of its transmission. We are far down the track from that, all blood is tested for this and other viral infections by one of the most reliable tests known, and there has never been an instance in this country of blood being rejected for that reason.

The problem is really one of changing management to a new set of criteria in a way which reassures blood recipients the blood supply is as safe as it can be.

In due course I hope that Mr Te Pue will be able to donate blood alongside his other fellow citizens