Israel eases restrictions on blood donations by gay men

Israeli LGBTQIA+ rights groups hailed the move as an important step for equality in Israel.

Israel has lifted restrictions on blood donations by gay men, claiming that the longstanding limitation was discriminatory and denigrating, Israel’s health minister said on August 19. Earlier this year the U.K. eased restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, following a similar decision by the U.S. last year because of a drop in the nation’s blood supply. Until Thursday, men seeking to donate blood in Israel were asked whether they had same-sex relations in the past 12 months, a category that would disqualify them from giving. Now the questionnaire inquires whether a prospective donor has had “high risk sexual relations with a new partner or partners” in the past three months, using gender neutral wording.