Gay men to be allowed to donate blood from tomorrow

As of tomorrow, men who have sex with men (MSMs) will no longer be banned from donating blood at the National Blood Bank.

This will be possible after the introduction of Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) at the blood bank laboratories.

Initially, MSMs will be deferred for one year from new sexual contacts, a period which will be brought in line with the four-month deferral for heterosexuals after epidemiological results from the new NAT testing are verified.

NAT tests for genetic material, rather than antigens or antibodies, which will allow testers to identify HIV and other viruses in the blood earlier than before.