The NUS LGBT campaign has argued that gay and bisexual men should not be subject to a blanket ban on blood donation, as this is discriminatory and panders to stereotypes about LGBT sexual behaviour.
Stonewall policy
The news of the review follows Stonewall's recent decision to change its policy on blood donation to support the position of the NUS LGBT campaign.
Responding to the news, NUS Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Officers Daf Adley and Lucy Brookes said:
“We are delighted that Stonewall decided to join the campaign against this policy."
“As NUS has been saying for years, the blood donation system should be based on actual risk, not perceived risk. The LGBT community is very diverse and different people live in very different ways. It is wrong to assume that every gay and bisexual man is automatically high-risk, and therefore wrong to automatically ban them from giving blood.
“We would like to stress that the National Blood Service provides a vital supply to those in need, and the NUS LGBT Campaign will continue to urge others to ‘give blood, because we can’t’.