Ireland urged to change blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men

In 2021, campaigners urged Ireland to replace its 12-month deferral for men who had sex with men with a more individualised approach to donor risk. The debate intensified when the Irish Blood Transfusion Service imported blood from the UK during a shortage.

An official review was already underway. Later in 2021, Ireland announced that the deferral would be shortened, with further policy changes planned. This page preserves the original campaign-era context rather than presenting the 2021 rule as current policy.

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