ECJ says ban on blood donations from gay men 'may be justified'
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What do you think? I think it's discrimation.
_Europe's highest court has ruled that a lifetime ban on gay men giving blood "may be justified" in certain cases.
However, it said it had to be proportionate and that national authorities had to be able to establish that such men were in fact at high risk of acquiring diseases such as HIV.
The European Court of Justice ruled that member states should establish if there were not more accurate detection techniques or "less onerous" ways of ensuring that recipients of donated blood were protected, rather than banning gay men for life from giving blood.
Ireland and a number of other countries maintain a lifetime ban.
The law in the UK was changed in 2011 so that a one-year ban would be established instead.
The Government is considering whether or not to follow the example set by the UK and others and introduce a one-year ban instead of a lifetime ban.
In a statement this morning, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said: "Any decision will be guided by medical and scientific evidence and best international practice.
"I do not see this as an equality issue._
MOre info
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0429/697477-ecj-blood-donations/
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