The Canadian Blood Services has denied these groups from donating blood based on only the fact of their sexuality. This topic has come to the table once again this month.

“A timely question. As things stand today, that still remains a deferral criteria,” comments Graham Sher at the Canadian Blood Services in Ontario. She went on to explain how the topic is going through scrutiny right now with various discussion panels, but there have been no results so far.

Since the early ’80s, the Canadian Blood Services has banned sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

The ’80s was a time when AIDS was first identified in gay men. From then on, HIV along with its outcome AIDS, was denoted as the ‘gay disease.’ The Canadian Blood Services still hasn’t changed its operations on this issue.

“HIV is not a homosexual disease, and I think they’re just starting to learn that. But it’s sad that screening changes haven’t been made,” says John Pernal, a Windsor resident.

The questionnaire for the donor to fill out is vague and for some gay men, seems homophobic. If you answer yes to any question that pertains to having sex with a man, your blood is rejected.

“I’m not particularly fond of the idea, but the fact that they have restricted methods as they are, is not surprising,” says Steven Masters, another Windsor resident.

The Canadian Blood Services disregard if you or your partner are regularly tested for HIV. They disregard if you have ever been tested for HIV. They also disregard you if you have had protected sex.

“Canadian Blood Services should definitely be asking more specific questions about the sexual activities and risk behaviors of potential donors,” says Steve Martindale, Coordinator of the Vanguard Project that studies HIV patterns in Vancouver.

There are needed types of blood in Canada that are being lost by this method of separating risk groups.

“It’s ironic when here in Windsor, the needle exchange is run by the gay community,” comments Pernal.