Men who have had the same sexual partner in the past three months will qualify to donate, as long as they meet the other screening criteria. The new approach ensures that anyone who comes forward to donate plasma will be asked if they have had sex and, if so, what their recent sexual behaviours have been.
Eligibility to donate plasma will be based on an individualized assessment of risk behaviours, rather than on the person's membership in a group considered to be at risk. Hema-Quebec will abandon the current three-month exclusion period for plasma donation for all men who have sex with men and are sexually active. The blood donation organization adds that this decision by Health Canada will not affect the safety of plasma recipients. Hema-Quebec is announcing that starting next fall, plasma donation will become more inclusive in Quebec as more men who have sex with men will be able to donate plasma.
