After a meeting in August 2020 between Rosa Lëtzebuerg, the Croix Rouge and the ALEM (Luxembourgish Medical Student’s Association) on the issue of the blood donation ban for homosexual men, something has now changed.
Since the first of January, the Croix Rouge has adapted its questionnaire, which must be filled out by the donor when donating blood. The questionnaire now only asks whether a person (male or female) has had sexual intercourse with a man who has had sexual intercourse with another man in the 12 months preceding the blood donation. If the answer is positive, the person concerned is now advised to donate blood plasma.
This plasma would then be kept in quarantine for 4 months until another test of the donor confirms that there are no STIs.
From our point of view, this is not yet satisfying, but it is at least a first step. At least homosexual men are no longer categorically excluded, instead the Croix Rouge goes for an abstinence rule of 12 months.
Rosa Lëtzebuerg will remain in discussions with the Croix Rouge.
