RED CROSS REJECTS YOUR BLOOD!
Do you know that as an active gay or bisexual man, you are banned from donating blood?
This policy discriminates against you!
- It unfairly stigmatises gay and bisexual men as a threat to public health; and
- It wrongly portrays male-to-male sex as inherently a health risk.
The ban reduces the pool of potential blood donors at a time when blood is often in short supply.
All blood is tested for HIV and other blood borne viruses – rapid advances in technology have brought ‘window periods’ down significantly.
Our blood is not a threat to the blood pool!
The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (VGLRL) have created the Equal Rights Blood Donation Registry – a register of interested potential blood donors who are unable to donate because they have engaged in male-to-male sexual activity in the previous twelve months.
These details will be provided to the Blood Bank when an urgent call for blood donations is made.
** Some people may be prevented from donating blood due to other factors - see http://www.arcbs.redcross.org.au/ for more details.
