A MARRIED Newbridge couple are now able to donate blood for the first time after changes to donation rules mean more members of the LGBT+ community are able to become donors.

Previously, any men who has had sex with another men within the past 12 months has been banned from giving blood. But new rules coming in today, Monday, June 14, mean those with long-term partners, among others, are now allowed to become donors.

Married couple Carl and Martin, of Newbridge, are among those who are now allowed to give blood.

Carl, who works as a quality manager, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be booked in to donate under these changes. I’m grateful for the efforts of campaigners, academics and clinicians who have made this happen.

“It is only fair in today’s society that everyone’s behaviours should be treated the same and not by the gender of their partner.”

Martin, a sales manager, added: “Today is a very special day for Carl and I. Together we can now make potentially lifesaving donations to help patients in need. My father had numerous blood transfusions and I am forever grateful to those donors for their support.

“My niece also received many blood transfusions during her treatment for leukaemia. She is now thankfully in full remission, and I am absolutely delighted to potentially help someone like her recover from such a serious illness.”

The changes – which come into effect today, Monday June 14, which is also World Blood Donor Day, means that all donors regardless of gender will be asked a new set of questions about sexual behaviours, mainly focused on the last three months, and will mean more people from the LGBTQ+ community will be able to donate.

The changes have been introduced after recommendations made by the FAIR steering group (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk) which is a UK-wide collaboration including representatives from all UK blood services, medical and scientific experts, LGBTQ+ groups and a selection of patients and donors.

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“I am delighted I am now part of these changes introduced today," he said.

“Today is my first donation but it definitely won’t be my last. I intend to donate regularly now and feel honoured to commence my lifesaving journey on World Blood Donor Day but also during Pride month.”

The Welsh Blood Service need around 350 donations each day to keep a steady supply of vital blood and blood components to 20 hospitals across Wales.

Service director Alan Prosser said: “We are thrilled to mark World Blood Donor Day by welcoming more people into our lifesaving team of blood and platelet donors.

“From today, more people can safely donate thanks to a new and fairer eligibility criteria.

“Whilst blood services are not responsible for setting the rules around donation, we are delighted that our work in collaboration with the FAIR steering group has led to the new regulations.

“If you have never given blood before, please consider supporting us by donating at your local donation clinic.”

Head of nursing at Welsh Blood Service, Zoe Gibson said: “Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do. All donations are tested for significant infections before they are sent to hospitals to maintain the safety of the blood supply chain.

“All donors will now be asked about recent sexual behaviours which might have increased their risk of acquiring an infection. This means that some donors might not be eligible on the day but may be eligible to donate in the future.

“Our priority is to make sure that donors can answer the pre-donation questions in a setting that makes them feel comfortable and safe. Our staff have been trained to make sure these more personal conversations are conducted with care and sensitivity and that accurate information is captured.

“We are asking that donors consider these new questions alongside existing health and travel questions when they book an appointment so that if they don’t meet the new criteria, they can re-schedule for a later date.”

Arron Bevan-John and Alexander Bryant-Evans, of Blood Equality Wales, said: “It is great to see these changes coming into force, especially after so many people in the LGBT+ community have fought and campaigned for changes to the rules around blood donation for such a long time.

“These changes are welcomed, but there is still a great deal of work to do in achieving absolute equality in the blood donation space. We will continue to work with partners such as the Welsh Blood Service so that one day everybody who can safely donate blood is able to.”

Davinia Green, director of Stonewall Cymru, said: “We welcome the changes to the blood donations rules, which will make it easier for gay and bi men to donate blood in Wales. This represents an important first step towards a donation selection policy entirely based on an individualised assessment of risk.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Public Health Wales and the Welsh Blood Service to build on this progress and ensure that more LGBT+ people can donate blood safely in the future.”

To view the full list of changes welsh-blood.org.uk/