We check for risky behavior, which can be sexual, but also whether someone has been traveling.
'Research shows that men who have sex with other men, so they do not necessarily have to be gay, have a greater risk of infections. Merlijn van Hasselt of Sanquin agreed that it seems strange that gay men are approached differently than straight men, but wouldn't call it discrimination, he said to the broadcaster.
That must disappear, but this is a good first step.' 'As a straight man you can do what you want and your sexual behavior is not checked anywhere, as a gay man it is. Before today, gay men could only donate blood if they hadn't had sex in four months, and before 2019 if they hadn't had sex in a year, because they are at higher risk of blood-borne infections.įreek de Jager of COC Twente-Achterhoek is pleased that blood bank Sanquin took this step towards no longer discriminating against gay men, he said to RTV Oost. From today, September 1, gay men with one, stable partner can donate blood in the Netherlands.
