Court rules lifetime ban on gay men giving blood is ‘justified’
By Josh Haggis
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the a lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood “may be justified”.
The ruling came today (April 29) after a complaint about France’s current lifetime ban from Frenchman Geoffrey Leger reached the Luxembourg-based court.
A lifetime ban, also in place in countries including America and Ireland, has been widely criticised by groups including the Red Cross and The American Medical Association in recent years, who claim that such a law is outdated.
However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that lifetime bans “may be justified” if a donor presents a high risk of acquiring “severe infectious diseases” such as HIV/AIDS.
Meanwhile, a recent study found that lifting the ban on gay blood donation in the US could save over 1.8 million lives a year. Find out more here.
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