Israel is set to allow bisexual and gay men to donate blood – regardless of when they last had sex.
The initiative, which has been hailed as an “important step towards equality” by LGBT activists in the country, will start as a pilot programme in April.
The scheme, which was approved by the Health Ministry yesterday, will be launched by Magen David Adom (MDA) – the Israeli equivalent of The Red Cross.
When bi and gay men donate their blood, MDA will separate the plasma, freeze it and keep it in quarantine for four months.
The donor will then need to come back four months later for a second donation.
As long as all tests on the new donation come back negative for infectious diseases, the first blood donation will be approved for general use.
The plan has been made possible by substantially more advanced tests which screen for HIV and can show an infection soon after it happens, according to reports.
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