Prior to 2018, Israel denied men from donating if they had sex with men in the 12 months prior.
#Can gay men donate blood 2018 trial
The country’s emergency medical service Magen David Adom (MDA), which handles blood donations, announced all blood would be screened twice for a two-year trial period, regardless of the donor’s sexual orientation. In 2018, Israel removed restrictions allowing any gay and bisexual men to donate blood, regardless on when they last had sexual relationships with men. “This is a landmark moment for the entire LGBTQ community in Israel and a step closer toward equality for everyone,” American LGBTQ advocacy group A Wider Bridge wrote in a Facebook post. Discrimination against gays in donating blood is over.” Horowitz first promised the changes in June. Nitzan Horowitz, the out Minister of Health in Israel, proclaimed, “There’s no difference between one blood and the other. That has left people to wonder why America is behind on the issue.
The policy puts Israel in the growing number of nations that are changing policies around blood or tissue donation regulations to take away past restrictions placed on gay and bisexual men. Gay and bisexual men will now be held to the same standard as all other people seeking to give blood. Israel is ending all restrictions in place that limit men from donating blood in any way simply because they have sex with men.