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Ever since 1983, men who had sex with men (MSM) from 1977 onwards were prohibited from donating their blood in Canada. This policy was initially established and maintained by a fear of the newly established HIV virus infecting those who would receive potentially tainted donated blood that came from MSM. While scientifically and statistically relevant in the 1980s, this policy is now completely anti-scientific and purely discriminatory towards MSM.
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Anti-scientific,
because screening tests for HIV are now extremely reliable compared to when the ban was first put in to place. Currently, Canadian blood banks, such as Héma-Québec, rely on those tests for their high-risk heterosexual donors. Why should it be different for homosexual donors? |
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Discriminatory, because the donor selection is based on sexual orientation rather than sexual behaviour; keep in mind not every sexual relationship shared between MSM runs the risk of propagating the HIV virus and other STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). The ban also does not take into account the numerous monogamous homosexual couples that encounter no risk of infecting one another if neither of the partners is infected.
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