Gay Blood Ban
Retained in Finland

Finland's government announced Monday that the Finnish Red Cross policy of barring men who have sex with men from donating blood is lawful.

"These statements contain appropriately reasoned epidemiological information to the effect that sex between men clearly increases the risk of contracting serious blood-transmitted diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C, and thereby increases the safety risk in blood transfusion," said Riitta-Leena Paunio, the country's parliamentary ombudsman, according to Finnish News Agency STT.

Currently, a man who has ever had oral or anal sex with another man, even with a condom, is barred for life from donating blood because he is deemed to be at high risk of passing on sexually transmitted diseases. (The Advocate)