People who have had two sexual partners in a year may be 'too promiscuous' to donate organs under new health guidelines



Donors who are not monogamous 'could be at risk from HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C'



Move will make 'organ donation safer'



People with two or more sexual partners in a year could be considered too promiscuous to donate organs, according to new health guidelines being drawn up in the U.S.



Both living and dead donors who had not been monogamous in the past 12 months could be too much of a risk for transmitting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C - even if they were otherwise healthy, according to the proposal.

The move has been proposed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, who said they wanted to make the supply of organ donation safer by preventing accidental transmission of life-threatening infections.

Controversial: It is hoped the guidelines will make the supply of organ donation safer by preventing accidental transmission of life-threatening infections

However, it has sparked controversy among transplant experts who fear the guidelines could eliminate too many potential donors, it has been reported.



Dr Harry Dorn-Arias, a transplant surgeon at the University of Virginia, told MSNBC's Vitals health website: 'With the new guidelines, every college student in America will be high risk.

'Right now, it's probably a prostitute or a guy with a needle in his arm. Next time, it will be just a young guy.'

CDC officials said the guidelines wouldn't ban somebody outright fro donating, but that they would by subject to more scrutiny and testing.

Dr Matthew Kuehnert, director of the CDC's office of blood, organs and other tissue, defended the move, adding: 'It’s geared for the patient so the patient knows as much as they can about the organ being transplanted in them.'

Transplant experts have accused the CDC of arbitrarily focusing on monogamy which, they believe, could scare off patients from accepting organs.



Scared off: It is feared people could be put off donating if they know their sexual history alone could question their suitability

They also fear people could be put off donating if they know their sexual history alone could question their suitability - particularly if the person they want to donate to is a family member.

Dr Dorn-Arias said: 'If you were going to give your organ to your mom or dad or sister, you’re going to be ashamed of that.

'You’re either going to say no, or you’re going to lie.'

If the policy is put into action it could also require families of dead donors answering uncomfortable questions about the sexual history of their loved ones.

More than 28,000 organs are transplanted each year in the U.S., but more than 112,000 people are on organ waiting lists, according to figures from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

