By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

UNITED KINGDOM — As people know for more than 30 years, blood donation restrictions for gay men have in place but now, thanks to the advances in medicine, not only will Gay men be allowed to donate blood after 3 months of having sexual intercourse, sex workers are to be allowed in England and Scotland to donate blood under a wave of “equality legislation” reforms that were announced by the government.

According to the new law, now ony will Gay men be allowed to donate blood three months after sexual intercourse but sex workers as well who were forced to wait an entire year before being allowed to donate blood.

You will recall the fears over HIV infected blood being passed on through donations from gay men that led to an all out ban at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 90s.

However that was changed to a one year delay after sexual encounters in 2011. The rule changes on blood donations are scheduled to be implemented in November in Scotland, and early 2018 in England.

Thanks to advances in testing for blood-borne viruses, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, helped the advisory committee on the safety of blood, tissues and organs to put forth the recommendation of reforms to the sitting ministers in the government who approved the recommendation.

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