The case in summary: Equality in the blood banks between heterosexuals and homosexuals has been postponed indefinitely. In 2017, men who have sex with men were allowed to donate blood for the first time in Norway, but with strict requirements. The Institute of Public Health has assessed that the quarantine period of six months since the last new sex partner, which applies to heterosexuals, is also long enough for homosexuals. The Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will look into the matter further. Professionals at the blood banks express skepticism and believe the decision has been taken on a political basis. It is uncertain when the change will be introduced, and the director of health will not give a new date. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – This is a group that has waited a long time to be able to contribute to society by donating blood. That’s what Hilde Arntsen, who is head of the association FRI, says. In 2017, men who have sex with men were allowed to donate blood for the first time in Norway. But the requirement was that they could not have had sex with anyone for a year. That made it practically impossible for homosexuals to donate blood. At the same time, other western countries have cut back on the quarantine period, and introduced new testing, until there has been equality in their blood banks. Last summer, the Minister of Health and Care and the Director of Health joined forces. They said that homosexuals would finally be allowed to donate blood on an equal basis with heterosexuals. But now the authorities do not know when it will actually be implemented. More complicated – We may have thought that the job was easier than it turned out to be, says health director Bjørn Guldvog. Bjørn Guldvog in the Directorate of Health said that homosexuals should be allowed to donate blood on an equal basis with heterosexuals. Photo: Lars Os / news In advance of the decision last year, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health went through the infection control experts on whether men who have sex with men should be allowed to donate blood. They concluded that the quarantine period of six months after the last new sex partner, which applies to heterosexuals, is also long enough for homosexuals. They also thought it was not necessary to introduce new tests. Because in addition to the quarantine, those that are done today are enough to reveal, for example, possible HIV infection. But they suggested adding new questions to the questionnaire that blood donors must answer. In the last ten years, there have been fewer and fewer blood donors in Norway. Photo: Helena Rønning / news – Our assessment is based on the fact that men who have sex with men, and who live in mutual, monogamous relationships, do not have a particularly increased risk of sexually transmitted infections compared to people in stable, heterosexual relationships. That’s what department director Anne-Marte Bakken Kran in FHI says. She adds that they have not assessed the blood bank aspect of the case, and it is the Norwegian Directorate of Health that will make an overall assessment. Now the director of health regrets that the directorate did not check properly with the blood banks. – We should anchor this better with the professional communities, says Guldvog. The Ministry of Health and Care also warns that they will look into the matter further. – We have been informed about the delay, and have called in, among others, the Norwegian Directorate of Health and FHI to a meeting to be informed about this and the way forward, says State Secretary Karl Kristian Bekeng. Skepticism The professionals at the blood banks say they were not listened to until the Minister of Health and the Director of Health decided that homosexuals should be allowed to donate blood. – The decision has been taken on a political basis, writes senior doctor Lise Sofie Nissen-Meyer at the blood bank in Oslo in an e-mail. She says that those who are allowed to give blood in Norway today have been selected because they are particularly healthy and have a low risk of infection through the blood. Nissen-Meyer and three colleagues from the blood banks have, commissioned by the transfusion service’s quality council, prepared a professional assessment of the possibility of allowing homosexuals to donate blood. Lise Sofie H. Nissen-Meyer is head of the blood bank at Oslo University Hospital. Photo: Nadir Alam / news They recommend waiting to introduce this change in Norway until we have data from other countries. Among other things, about the hill that has gone where they have more testing and even the questionnaire. It is uncertain when this may be ready. Nissen-Meyer says that patients should not be exposed to a possible increased risk of infection in order to turn a new group into possible blood donors. – It is contrary to the blood banks’ well-established “precautionary” principle. What is needed? What will it take for it to be just as safe for men who have sex with men to donate blood as for heterosexuals? This is what Lise Sofie H. Nissen-Meyer answers: Either: Introduction of standardized questions which in large studies prove to be suitable for distinguishing between men who have sex with men at high and low risk. Unfortunately, there are no such studies ongoing as far as we know. And/or: Several research studies from countries that have opened up provide knowledge of how important extra testing can be. Here, the syphilis test is a possible marker for blood infection with viruses or bacteria that we do not test for, and can potentially replace changes in the questionnaire. Both suitability for the purpose and burden on the blood donor group with extra testing and thus more false positive tests that must be followed up must be included in that assessment. And/or: Introduction of intensified testing (for HIV and hepatitis) to reduce the increased risk of known viruses. The same assessments of cost for the total group of blood donors in relation to benefit for the patients must be made here. And/or: Other measures that reduce the risk of infection to patients, such as antiviral treatment of the blood. Safety – Our aim is not to exclude groups. Our goal is to minimize the risk for those who will receive blood, and make it as safe as possible for blood donors. That’s what Einar Kristoffersen says at Haukeland Hospital in Bergen. Einar Kristoffersen is head of the blood bank in Bergen. Photo: Ingfrid Hole Fossåskaret / news He believes that a system has not yet been created to achieve that combination. – We must put in place the tools we need to select donors so that we are sure that the blood to be given to patients is as safe after the change as it is today. You cannot give blood if you: Photo: Helse Bergen Not healthy. Are under 18 years of age. Weighs under 50 kg. Uses drugs regularly. Possible exceptions are birth control pills, some blood pressure medicines, allergy medicines and remedies for low metabolism. Have heart, liver or lung disease, or have had a bleeding tendency, severe allergic reactions or cancer. Uses or has used narcotic drugs such as syringes. If you have had sexual contact with a person who has used this, you get a minimum of 6 months. quarantine. Have stayed in a country where malaria is widespread for at least six months. Are born in the Americas south of the United States, have a mother born in these countries or received a blood transfusion in these countries, due to the possible occurrence of T. Cruzi. Have stayed for over 5 years in total in Africa south of the Sahara. Men who have had sex with men in the past year. People who have prostituted themselves in the past year. In addition to the criteria mentioned above, there are many other criteria that rule out donating blood, either permanently or temporarily. The blood bank provides additional information upon attendance or you can get in touch if you have any questions. Read a complete list at the Red Cross. This list was retrieved on 12.07.22. In FRI, they are impatient, although they are also concerned that this is done in a proper way. – We would have liked to have progressed further in that process, says Hilde Arntsen. Director of Health Bjørn Guldvog says he expects to follow the advice from the blood banks to wait. And now the director of health does not dare to answer when there can be equality between homosexuals and heterosexuals. – Now I have gone too far in promising it once, and I will not do it again. We will use the time that is sufficient. Did you know that sex between men was illegal in Norway for 1000 years? Read the story of Karl and Johan – two men who were punished for their love:
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Homosexuals are still not allowed to donate blood now – postponed indefinitely – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
