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e-423 (Blood donations)

E-petition
Initiated by Shayne Douglas Ward from Guelph, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Minister of Health

Whereas:
  • Men who have sex with men (MSM) are eligible to donate blood if they have not had sexual contact with a man for at least five years;
  • Current tests can detect most strains of HIV as long as the donor hasn't contracted the virus within 16 days of donation;
  • Every blood donation has several blood samples taken to test for infectious diseases, blood groups and compatibility;
  • Studies have recognized that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STI) are transmittable across all genders and sexualities; and
  • In countries such as South Africa, home to one of the world’s higher rates of HIV infection, the country’s blood donor agency recently enacted a screening policy that ignores gender and sexual orientation completely.
We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Minister of Health to
1. Adopt a science-based screening process for blood donors using a behaviour-based model that does not discriminate against a specific group of people based on their gender or sexual identity; and
2. Immediately eliminate Canada’s deferral policy for men who have had sex with men (MSM) who wish to donate red blood cells, blood plasma and platelets.
Government response tabled on December 9, 2016 (Sessional Paper No. 8545-421-95-01)
Open for signature
June 17, 2016, at 9:46 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
October 15, 2016, at 9:46 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway)
October 26, 2016 (Petition No. 421-00823)
Government response tabled
December 9, 2016
Photo - Don Davies
Vancouver Kingsway
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia