Roy Beggs MLA has commented on the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood in Northern Ireland, following a debate in the Assembly.
The Ulster Unionist Health spokesperson said:
“It has been deemed safe in the rest of the UK that gay men can donate blood after a period of twelve months of abstinence from sexual activity. This is a decision that has been based on scientific evidence and the development of new testing technology.’
“When the demand for blood is always higher than the availability of stocks, I cannot see why the Health Minister would continue to maintain a ban that is out of step with the regulations in the rest of the UK. Especially when you consider that in times when we have a particularly low stock of blood we import donations from Great Britain, something which surely undermines the lifetime ban in Northern Ireland.’