“Giving blood is a human right”

Blood donors doing their bit.

Blood donors doing their bit. Photo: Guðmundur Rúnar Guðmundsson

A consultative committee is currently looking into whether Iceland’s ban on homosexual men giving blood should be lifted.

Member of Parliament for the Bright Future Party (‘Björt framtíð’) Brynhildur Pétursdóttir has submitted a formal written question to Iceland’s Health Minister on the progress of the committee’s work and on his personal stance on the matter.

Minister in favour

The Minister for Health, Kristján Þór Júlíusson, indicated earlier this year that he was very much in favour of allowing homosexual men to give blood, but that professional opinion should of course be sought. The matter was subsequently sent to a consultative committee on blood-bank services.

Writing on the Bright Future website, Pétursdóttir suggests that the committee appears to be dragging its feet on issuing an opinion and has formally asked the Minister for an update.

Behaviour more a factor than sexuality

“Experts indicate that many more groups are exposed to the HIV virus than just men who have slept with men and that unsafe behaviour is more of a factor than personal sexuality,” she writes. “Each potential donor should be looked at in terms of their personal past and not on the basis of whether or not they have been classified as belonging to a so-called ‘risk group’.”

“Bright Future considers than in 2015 giving blood is an inalienable human right and that people should be able to give blood regardless of their sexuality.”

Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Icelandic Minister for Health.

Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Icelandic Minister for Health. Photo: Skapti Hallgrímsson

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