Image source, bbc

Committee convener Johann Lamont thanks the witnesses for their evidence and says the campaign is not based on anything reckless but rather calling for a scientific approach.

Ms Lamont says there is an issue the committee wishes to explore further.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle says on the face of it it it does look like there is prejudice and the Scottish government's views should be sought. 

SNP MSP Angus Macdonald points to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) review due this year.

Philip Whyte, NUS Scotland says the disappointment with the 2011 review is that "individual risk assessments was used as a throw away line."

Mr Whyte says the individual risk assessments were seen as a "cumbersome process".

He says that research shows the main reason of failure to comply to the rules on disclosure is that people did not realise the risk.

Ali Hudson, LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland, says she has only very recently been involved in the campaign and she hasn't bee involved in the research itself.

Ms Hudson says the review won't be the only piece of research required and that it will take time and money.

She says it is vitally important to well being and healthcare.

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SNP MSP Rona Mackay asks if the witnesses believe the current criteria for blood donation is discriminatory against the LGBT+ community.

Ali Hudson, LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland says: "It has been clear for the last decade that this has been discriminatory."

She calls for changes.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay says she is supportive of this petition and led a members debate on the issue last year. 

Ms MacKay if individual risk assessments should be carried out for other groups of people such as drug users and sex workers.

Ali Hudson says "yes" she thinks the robust rules could be rolled out and that currently, she believes, drug users and sex workers have a lifetime ban.

Ms Hudson says that if a significant amount of time has passed since a person injected drugs then they are not going to suddenly attract HIV.

She says that sex workers may not have had "penetrable" sex and therefore may not have been at risk of attracting HIV. 

Image source, bbc

Tory MSP Maurice Corry asks about the individual risk assessment.

Philip Whyte from NUS Scotland says the deferral period for women who have had sex with men who have had sex with men is 12 months.

Mr Whyte says for these women it is not a hugely detailed proces above the standard one.

He says the system is very dependent across the boards for compliance and honesty. 

Mr Whyte says there would need to be a robust system for allocating low risk.

Tory MSP Brian Whittle asks if this issue causes confusion for blood transfusion services.

Ali Hudson LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland says "yes" she does think it causes confusion.

Ms Hudson says that the rules are up for interpretation and are ambiguous.

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Last November the mental health minister said the blood transfusion service policy was under review. 

Maureen Watt, speaking during a member's debate led by SNP MSP Rona Mackay, said blood safety should never be compromised. 

Ms Watt says said she knew some men thought they were being discriminated against, but she insisted the deferral was based on current epidemiology and people weere not deferred on the basis of sexual preferences but on the basis of safety. 

he minister says the deferral of men who have sex with men is because they have a higher risk of HIV and because it was not always possible to detect the infection in blood.  

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Philip Whyte from NUS Scotland says the evidence from Italy showed the prevalence of HIV was more prevalent in heterosexuals. 

SNP MSP Angus Macdonald asks how the evidence based system the petition calls for would work.

Ali Hudson, LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland says blood samples would continue to be rigorously screened.

Ms Hudson says non-disclosure can be an issue and a two-tier screening would better prepare donors.

Committee convener Johann Lamont says the 2011 review looked at donor selection processes.

Ali Hudson, LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland, says that there has been advances both before and after 2011.

Ms Hudson says it does not take one year for HIV to be detectable in the blood and it is a lot earlier than that with a high degree of accuracy. 

PE01643, external calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish government to change the regulations that prevent people within the LGBT+ community from donating blood.

It calls for regulations to be replacedt with an evidence based system that examines people on their individual risk to provide blood rather than their sexual orientation and gender.  

Image source, Science Photo Library

The petitioner says: "We believe there is a pressing need for more, and more regular, blood donors in Scotland - yet at the same time various members of the  LGBT+ community may be denied the opportunity to donate."

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) and the other UK Blood Services are regulated by the UK Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (BSQR). 

These regulations represent the minimum blood quality and safety standards across Europe and transpose the EU Blood Directive 2002/98/EC into UK law.   

Potential blood donors answer a series of questions before each donation. 

These questions relate to their health, lifestyle, travel history, medical history and medication. 

This is to ensure the safety of recipients as - although all donations are tested for blood borne infections like HIV and Hepatitis – no test is 100% effective and so there is still a risk of infected blood products being given to recipients.

 Donor exclusion and deferral criteria are intended to reduce the potential number of infected donations and are regularly reviewed in the light of scientific knowledge.  

Image source, bbc

Ms Hudson says the petition is not advocating changing the rules to increase risk, it calls for a science base for the rules.

She highlights the discriminatory nature of the ban, saying people who are not LGBT+ but have high risk behaviour are going below the radar.

She says the blood donation ban is based on "prejudice rather than science and logic".

The current guidelines set out that men must not donate if they have had oral or anal sex with another man in the previous 12 months, even if a condom or other protection was used (pg 100). 

The guidelines state that this is because: “…men who have sex with other men [MSM] have a higher chance of having an undiagnosed infection which could be passed to anyone receiving their blood” 

The current guidelines also exclude female partners of MSM, although there may be some exceptions and the guidelines state that some women may be allowed to donate on the ‘basis of an individual risk assessment’. 

Other ‘high risk’ groups are permanently excluded from donating, for example, injecting drug users and commercial sex workers  

Image source, bbc

Ali Hudson says she is the bisexual representative and LGBT+ Campaign Representative from NUS Scotland.

Ms Hudson says we now understand how HIV spreads and how it can be prevented from spreading.

She says the ban as it stands affects a large range of LGBT+ people including transgender people.

Ms Hudson says often staff do not know how to interpret the rule.

It also affects women who have sex with bisexual men.

She says the donation rules should be based on individual risk.

Image source, Thinkstock

A ban on gay men donating blood was brought in across the UK during the Aids/HIV crisis in the 1980s, but was lifted in England, Scotland and Wales in November 2011.

But a 12-month ban was kept for men who are sexually active.

The same law applies in the US as well.

It meant that many homosexual men couldn't donate blood after 49 people were murdered at a gay club in Orlando and 53 others were wounded.

The Public Petitions Committee, external begins by considering PE1643, external by Jack Douglas, LGBT+ Officer on behalf of NUS Scotland on Introduce individual risk-based blood donation in Scotland.

MSPs will take evidence from: 

• Philip Whyte, NUS Scotland 
• Ali Hudson, LGBT+ Campaign Representative, NUS Scotland

Good morning and welcome to Holyrood Live on 27 April 2017.

The Public Petitions Committee will take evidence on new petitions, including one calling for the introduction of individual risk-based blood donation in Scotland, to allow people within the LGBT+ community to donate.

Image source, PA/Scottish Parliament

After general questions, we will, as ever, bring you extensive coverage of first minister’s questions.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay will lead a member’s debate against Edinburgh Airport’s plan to introduce new flight paths.

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The Scottish government will then give a ministerial statement on Scotland’s Social Security Agency.

MSPs will then participate in the Stage 1 debate on the Limitation (Childhood Abuse) (Scotland) Bill.