Introduction
As a response to the emerging AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, strict restrictions were placed on blood donation in North America. In 2022, blood donor eligibility in Canada was adjusted to reflect sexual behaviour rather than orientation, removing blood donation deferral on the basis of identity and orientation, and further, Canadian Blood Services offered an apology to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities for the harmful impacts these restrictions had. These restrictions, including a lifetime ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood, continue to have lasting impacts across communities, and this digital exhibition will examine both the history of the blood donation landscape in Canada as well as the community organizing that occurred as a result.
This exhibition was financially supported by the Canadian Blood Services Microgrant Program for 2SLGBTQIA+ community-based non-profit organizations. The sexual behaviour-based donation model has made great steps toward changing how blood donation is thought of with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. This new criterion bases donation eligibility on the question of whether donors have had new and/or multiple sexual partners in the last three months. If the question is yes, donors are asked if they have had anal sex in the last three months with these new partners. There remains a three-month waiting period for donation from those who have had new sexual partners and have had anal sex, as it reduces the possibility of tests missing recently acquired infections.
The new blood donor eligibility and changes to the screening protocol can be found at the links below:
Sexual Behaviour-based Screening
Thank you to Canadian Blood Services for the financial support for the creation of our exhibition to raise awareness on the history of blood donation and activism in Canada and the changing donation criteria for 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
