Advocates have backed the Victorian Government's call for an official review of the gay blood donation ban to be brought forward.

 

Just.equal spokesperson and long-time advocate against the ban, Rodney Croome, said,

 

"The ban on gay blood donation is discriminatory, it stigmatises gay men as a risk to public health, and it reduces the supply of safe blood to those Australians who need it."

 

"There needs to be an entirely new process for assessing potential blood donors that focusses on the risk associated with the donor's sexual activity, not the gender of their sexual partner."

 

"I applaud the Victorian Government for raising this issue and call on the nation's health ministers to get behind the initiative." 

 

Mr Croome was a researcher and advisor in the landmark Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal case on gay blood donation taken by Michael Cain several years ago.

 

"The medical evidence in Mr Cain's case was very clear - there are many gay men whose blood is safer than many of the heterosexual people who are currently allowed to donate."

 

"It's time we allowed those gay men to give the gift of life."

 

Victorian Health Minister, Jill Hennessy, will today call on her state and federal colleagues to support bringing forward the review of blood donation guidelines from 2018 to next year.