However, modern screening tests can detect HIV and hepatitis within one month of a person being infected. In the US, for example, two-thirds of new HIV infections result from male-to-male sexual contact.Īll donated blood is tested before it is used, but it takes time for recent HIV and hepatitis infections to become detectable, which is why most countries ask that higher-risk donors avoid sex for a period of time before giving blood. Most rich countries, including the US and Australia, only allow men who have sex with men to donate blood if they have abstained from sex for at least 12 months, because men in these countries have a higher risk of getting HIV and hepatitis from sex. New rules that make it easier for gay and bisexual men in the UK to donate blood have been found to be safe, but equal rights campaigners say they don’t go far enough to eliminate discrimination.
