Some of these cases are being found in communities of gay, bisexual and other men who What you need to knowĪn outbreak of a disease called monkeypox is happening in some countries where the virus is not typically found.
People attending social events and parties to inform and engage communities of men who have sex with men. It can be used by community leaders, influencers, health workers and
This public health advice contains information on how monkeypox spreads, what to do if you think you have symptoms and how to protect yourself and others. However, given that the virus is being identified in these communities, learning about monkeypox will help ensure that as few people as possible are affected and that the outbreak can be stopped. Anyone who has close contact with someone who is infectious It is important to note that the risk of monkeypox is not limited to men who have sex with men. Sexual health clinics in communities of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. This can be concerning, especially for people whose loved ones or community have been affected. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2022.An outbreak of a disease called monkeypox is currently taking place in many countries that do not typically have cases. All donated blood is tested and screened before it is given to patients. The blood agency believes asking about sexual behaviour will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV that can be transmitted through transfusions. If they have, they would need to wait three months since that activity before donating blood. If any potential donor replies yes, they would then be asked whether they have had anal sex with any of those partners. The blood service is moving toward basing screening on higher-risk sexual behaviour such as anal sex.īy the end of September, all potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. But it took years and $5 million worth of research into safety before it was recommended to Health Canada.Ĭanadian Blood Services, which runs the blood donation program, indicated it was confident the ban on sex workers giving blood could happen by the fall if approved by Health Canada. Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promised to scrap the ban on gay men donating blood during the 2015 election campaign. The current lifetime ban on sex workers giving blood also extends to people who have had sex with a sex worker or exchanged money or drugs for sex. It doesn't end if it gets reduced to one year," she added. "Right now we are looking at a year but we will continue to look at it in future. She said the review was part of a drive to make sure blood donation policies were more inclusive and equitable. The length of time gay men were banned from giving blood was gradually reduced before being scrapped completely last month.Ĭatherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Services, said it had made the request to Health Canada to end the lifelong ban on sex workers donating blood in the past few weeks, having done research to ensure the recommendation would keep the blood supply safe. The move follows an end last month to the ban on gay and bisexual men from donating blood, which was welcomed by MPs and LGBTQ advocates.Ĭanadian Blood Services said it would be prepared to recommend that Health Canada reduce the time sex workers have to wait before donating blood to less than a year, but wanted to make changes incrementally. The ban, introduced 45 years ago, is set to be replaced by a one-year "deferral" after paid sex work. The blood-donation service this month recommended to Health Canada that it abolish the lifetime ban on donation by people who have taken money or drugs in exchange for sex. Canadian Blood Services wants to scrap a lifetime ban on sex workers giving blood in a further move to make blood donation more equitable.