U.K. Will Make It Easier For Gay And Bisexual Men To Donate Blood

The U.K. announced new rules for blood donation that are defined by individual behaviors, rather than sexuality and gender.

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Britain has announced changes that will allow more gay and bixsexual men to donate blood – a major victory for campaigners who had sought changes to the rules they said treated all gay and bi men as posing an increased risk of infection.

Previously, the government’s donor policy dictated that men who have sex with men had to abstain for three months in order to donate.

The new rules do away with asking about gender and sexuality, and instead focus on individual behaviors to assess risk. The changes will go into effect in summer 2021.