News - Starting March 1, 2010, Sweden will lift its ban on gay blood donors, this was said in a statement issued by the country's National Board of Health and Welfare on World Aids Day. This aligns the country with other European states such as Spain and Italy where gay and bisexual men were already allowed to be a blood donor.

Eventhough the ban will be lifted, this will not result in allowing all gay men to donate blood as donations will only be allowed when you haven't had sex with another man for at least a year.

Officials at the Swedish national health agency confirmed that sexual orientation will no longer determine whether a person can give blood or not. Instead, people who engaged in so-called sexually risky behaviour can be barred for one year.

People who want to donate blood will have to fill in a detailed form about their health and sexual history before being approved as donors and all donated blood will be tested before being used, a spokeswoman for the health agency revealed.

(Via: AFP)

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!