• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

Gay Men Now Allowed to Donate Blood in South Africa

May 20, 2014 by Andy Towle

South Africa has ended its ban on blood donation by gay men, Mamba Online reports:

BloodOn Tuesday, Vanessa Raju, SANBS Communications Manager, confirmed to Mambaonline that a new non-discriminatory policy had been put in place that favours people in monogamous relationships, regardless of their sexuality.

She said that anyone who has a new sexual partner will not be allowed to donate blood for six months, and that anyone who has multiple partners will not be allowed to donate blood. Both criteria are irrespective of a person’s sexual orientation.

“This policy would apply to me, for example, who’s just started dating someone new,” Raju added. “But people who are in monogamous male same-sex relationships [for more than six months] can now donate.”

She explained that the previous policy had been put in place on the basis of international statistics and trends. “It took us a while because we didn’t have local facts that warranted changing our policy, although we knew South Africa was different from other countries in terms of risk of HIV,” said Raju.

The U.S. still prohibits blood donation by any man who has had sex with another man since 1977. Last August, 84 Democratic lawmakers led by Senator Tammy Baldwin urged HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to end the ban, saying that it “continues to perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes against gay and bisexual men and fosters an atmosphere that promotes discrimination.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Blood Donation, Blood Donation, News, South Africa, South Africa

Recent Posts

  • Amanda Gorman, Tokyo Olympics, Putin’s Secret Estate, Dwyane Wade, Lady Gaga, Chris Evans, Hungary: HOT LINKS

    Amanda Gorman, Tokyo Olympics, Putin’s Secret Estate, Dwyane Wade, Lady Gaga, Chris Evans, Hungary: HOT LINKS

    4 hours ago
  • Joe Exotic is So Sure He’ll Be Pardoned by Trump, There’s Already a Limo Pickup Truck Waiting to Pick Him Up

    Joe Exotic is So Sure He’ll Be Pardoned by Trump, There’s Already a Limo Pickup Truck Waiting to Pick Him Up

    6 hours ago
  • Mitch McConnell: Insurrectionists Were Provoked by Trump  — WATCH

    Mitch McConnell: Insurrectionists Were Provoked by Trump — WATCH

    7 hours ago
  • Randy Rainbow Measures 2,102,400 Minutes of Donald’s Presidency in ‘Seasons of Trump’ Sendoff: WATCH

    Randy Rainbow Measures 2,102,400 Minutes of Donald’s Presidency in ‘Seasons of Trump’ Sendoff: WATCH

    10 hours ago
Previous Post: « New Study Finds Disgusting Odors Make People Less Supportive of Gay Marriage
Next Post: Ryan Gosling Directorial Debut Shouts ‘Look at My Muscles’: VIDEO »

Primary Sidebar

  • Amanda Gorman, Tokyo Olympics, Putin’s Secret Estate, Dwyane Wade, Lady Gaga, Chris Evans, Hungary: HOT LINKS

  • Joe Exotic is So Sure He’ll Be Pardoned by Trump, There’s Already a Limo Pickup Truck Waiting to Pick Him Up

  • Mitch McConnell: Insurrectionists Were Provoked by Trump — WATCH

Recent Posts

  • Amanda Gorman, Tokyo Olympics, Putin’s Secret Estate, Dwyane Wade, Lady Gaga, Chris Evans, Hungary: HOT LINKS

    Amanda Gorman, Tokyo Olympics, Putin’s Secret Estate, Dwyane Wade, Lady Gaga, Chris Evans, Hungary: HOT LINKS

    4 hours ago
  • Joe Exotic is So Sure He’ll Be Pardoned by Trump, There’s Already a Limo Pickup Truck Waiting to Pick Him Up

    Joe Exotic is So Sure He’ll Be Pardoned by Trump, There’s Already a Limo Pickup Truck Waiting to Pick Him Up

    6 hours ago
  • Mitch McConnell: Insurrectionists Were Provoked by Trump  — WATCH

    Mitch McConnell: Insurrectionists Were Provoked by Trump — WATCH

    7 hours ago
  • Randy Rainbow Measures 2,102,400 Minutes of Donald’s Presidency in ‘Seasons of Trump’ Sendoff: WATCH

    Randy Rainbow Measures 2,102,400 Minutes of Donald’s Presidency in ‘Seasons of Trump’ Sendoff: WATCH

    10 hours ago
  • Roberta Kaplan, Who Won Edie Windsor’s DOMA Case, is About to Put Trump in a Whole Lot of Legal Pain

    Roberta Kaplan, Who Won Edie Windsor’s DOMA Case, is About to Put Trump in a Whole Lot of Legal Pain

    11 hours ago
  • Photog Complains After Instagram Censors Sexy Underwear Shoot of TikToker Noah Beck: ‘What is So Offensive About a Confident Male Body?’

    Photog Complains After Instagram Censors Sexy Underwear Shoot of TikToker Noah Beck: ‘What is So Offensive About a Confident Male Body?’

    11 hours ago
  • 200,000 Flags Take Place of Americans on National Mall Ahead of Biden-Harris Inauguration: WATCH

    200,000 Flags Take Place of Americans on National Mall Ahead of Biden-Harris Inauguration: WATCH

    12 hours ago
  • Giuliani Bashed Provisional Ballots in 2020 Election While Casting One of His Own

    Giuliani Bashed Provisional Ballots in 2020 Election While Casting One of His Own

    12 hours ago
  • Biden Picks Dr. Rachel Levine for Asst. Health Secretary; Would Make History as First Senate-Confirmed Transgender Federal Official

    Biden Picks Dr. Rachel Levine for Asst. Health Secretary; Would Make History as First Senate-Confirmed Transgender Federal Official

    12 hours ago
  • Pamela Anderson Pleads for Trump to Pardon Julian Assange: ‘This is Why He’s President’ — WATCH

    Pamela Anderson Pleads for Trump to Pardon Julian Assange: ‘This is Why He’s President’ — WATCH

    13 hours ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Log in