The Honourable Ginette Petitpas-Taylor, PC, MP Minister of Health of Canada 70 Colombine Driveway Tunney’s Pasture Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9 Cc’d :Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister, Health Canada: And Pierre Sabourin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Health Canada: And Cathy Parker, Acting Director General, Biologics & Genetic Therapies Directorate, (HPFB) Health Canada: CEO, Canadian Blood Services () And Dr. Graham Sher, And Don Lapierre () at Canadian Blood Services. Dear Minister of Health, The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity would like to express for Canadian Blood Services next incremental step in altering the blood donation policy for men who have sex with men. This request will seek permission to move from the current 1 year waiting period from last sexual contact to a 3-month waiting period. To be clear, the CCGSD does not see this as a final step but rather one that can be safely adopted while we await results of current research. Current research indicates that the MSM deferral is no more than a historically discriminatory barrier that continues today. Moreover, international research indicates that MSM communities (gay, bi, queer, two-spirit, trans men who have sex with men) are no risk to the blood supplies. We truly believe that once implemented, expectation of further surveillance and research to alter the deferral to a gender-neutral screening policy or one that defers folks on behaviour (instead of identity) would better protect the blood supply. The has been working with Canadian Blood Services and other organizations on this file for over 15 years. As a participant of the recent consultations, we are proud of the work Canadian Blood Services is doing to advance this work. This consultation approach has brought all stakeholders to this critical point. We are share a need to have a safe, accessible and generous supply of blood in our country; and we know that by
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas-Taylor, PC, MP Minister of Health of Canada 70 Colombine Driveway Tunney’s Pasture Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9 Cc’d :Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister, Health Canada: And Pierre Sabourin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) Health Canada: And Cathy Parker, Acting Director General, Biologics & Genetic Therapies Directorate, (HPFB) Health Canada: And Dr. Graham Sher, CEO, Canadian Blood Services () And Don Lapierre () at Canadian Blood Services. Dear Minister of Health, The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity would like to express for Canadian Blood Services next incremental step in altering the blood donation policy for men who have sex with men. This request will seek permission to move from the current 1 year waiting period from last sexual contact to a 3-month waiting period. To be clear, the CCGSD does not see this as a final step but rather one that can be safely adopted while we await results of current research. Current research indicates that the MSM deferral is no more than a historically discriminatory barrier that continues today. Moreover, international research indicates that MSM communities (gay, bi, queer, two-spirit, trans men who have sex with men) are no risk to the blood supplies. We truly believe that once implemented, expectation of further surveillance and research to alter the deferral to a gender-neutral screening policy or one that defers folks on behaviour (instead of identity) would better protect the blood supply. The has been working with Canadian Blood Services and other organizations on this file for over 15 years. As a participant of the recent consultations, we are proud of the work Canadian Blood Services is doing to advance this work. This consultation approach has brought all stakeholders to this critical point. We are share a need to have a safe, accessible and generous supply of blood in our country; and we know that by
CCGSD-MSM-policy-change-letters-of-support-outline-2018.docx