麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Israel eases restrictions on blood donations by gay men

Blood Donation
Share
JERUSALEM -

Israel has lifted restrictions on blood donations by gay men, saying the longstanding limitation was discriminatory and denigrating, Israel's health minister said Thursday.

Earlier this year the U.K. eased restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, following a similar decision by the U.S. last year because of a drop in the nation's blood supply.

Until Thursday, men seeking to donate blood in Israel were asked whether they had same-sex relations in the past 12 months, a category that would disqualify them from giving. Now the questionnaire inquires whether a prospective donor has had "high risk sexual relations with a new partner or partners" in the past three months, using gender neutral wording.

Nitzan Horowitz, Israel's health minister, who himself is openly gay, wrote in a Facebook post that the Health Ministry had "removed the denigrating and irrelevant questions" in questionnaires for blood donors, and that everyone would be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation.

"There's no difference between one blood and the other," he said. "Discrimination against gays in donating blood is over."

Israeli LGBTQ2S+ rights groups hailed the move as an important step for equality in Israel. Gal Wagner Kolasko, head of the Israeli LGBT Medical Associations, to thank Horowitz for the "historical correction."

"Now there are safe blood doses for all without discrimination or harming human rights. Because discrimination also causes serious damage to health," he said.

 

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.