Switzerland has lifted additional restrictions on blood donations by men who have sex with men, who are now subject to the same rules as heterosexual men, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2023) Switzerland has lifted additional restrictions on blood donations by men who have sex with men, who are now subject to the same rules as heterosexual men, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) said on Tuesday.
"On 24 July 2023, at the request of the transfusion service of the Swiss Red Cross (Swiss Transfusion SRC), Swissmedic approved the amendment to the blood donation criteria for 'men who have sex with men' (MSM). Accordingly, the same exclusion criteria apply for all persons after new sexual contacts � regardless of whether these are heterosexual or homosexual," the agency said in a statement.
Following the amendment, all persons are admitted for blood donation if at least four months have passed since their last sexual contact, regardless of the partner's gender, or 12 months, if sexual contacts have taken place with more than two partners within the last four months, Swissmedic added.
Men who have sex with men were allowed to donate blood in Switzerland in 2017, however, until the current amendment, they have been subjected to the 12-month deferral period after their last MSM contact.
The agency noted that the decision was based on an updated risk assessment of various sexual behaviors and data from other countries with the same donation criteria.
