QUESTION PERIOD — Health
Canadian Blood Services
March 31, 2022
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
Senator Gold, currently in Canada, male blood donors who report having had sex with one or more other men in the past three months cannot donate blood.
This practice, which contributes to the stigma attached to HIV, is outdated, since it is clear that sexual behaviour, not a person’s sexual orientation, is what determines the level of risk of HIV transmission.
With that in mind, on December 15, 2021, Canadian Blood Services made a submission to Health Canada recommending a new approach to screen all donors for high-risk sexual behaviour that would replace the current practice of a three-month donor deferral period for all sexually active men who have sex with men.
The department’s target for the review of this submission was 90 days, so in theory, around March 15. However, we still have not received Health Canada’s decision.
Senator Gold, when can we expect Health Canada to announce its decision regarding this submission from Canadian Blood Services?
I understand that the actual review time may vary, depending on the completeness of the data provided and discussions with the organization, but please explain why the review of this submission is taking longer than the planned 90-day time frame.
I thank the honourable senator for the question.
The government is committed to supporting blood and plasma donation policies in Canada that are non-discriminatory, safe, and based on scientific evidence. Although the government is encouraged by the reduction in the donor deferral period to three months for men who have sex with men, the government knows full well that there is still a lot of work to do.
I am told that Health Canada has carefully examined Canadian Blood Services’ submission concerning the screening of blood and plasma donors in order to make the rules more inclusive for men who have sex with men.
Time frames for a review can vary, as you mentioned, according to the scope of the material provided and the discussions with stakeholders. I am told that Health Canada’s decision will not be communicated until after an independent, rigorous, evidence-based review has been done.
