December 18, 2015

France – Now allowing blood and plasma donation by MSM

On November 3rd, the French Ministry of Health made possible for men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate blood and plasma if they were sexually abstinent in the twelve months preceding the donation. This change will be effective as of the spring of 2016.

IRIS welcomes Marisol Touraine’s, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, decision which provides concrete input of MSM in blood donation, while ensuring the safety rules in light of the known epidemiological data.
This change will also allow for more data collection in support of future developments on inclusion or exclusion of individuals in blood donation.  It is essential that any changes in the blood donation regulations are based on scientific data.

Estelle Pointaux, IRIS’s President, participated in the preparatory work for this decision, led by the Ministry of Health.  She made the recipients security a top priority by asking the government to guarantee safe blood products and blood derivatives medications to the recipient patients.
To IRIS the gift is a generous and vital act, not a right. This distinction is not only in the donors’ interest but also for the patients’ protection.