Canada said on Thursday it is lifting a ban on blood donations from sexually active men who have sex with men, first imposed decades ago, as part of an effort to create a "more inclusive" system.
The federal health department announced it is authorizing a submission from Canadian Blood Services to allow donations from men who have had sex with another man within the previous three months.
The agency will instead screen all potential blood and plasma donors for "high-risk sexual behaviours." Under the new criteria, anyone who has had anal sex with a new partner will have to wait three months before donating, a Canadian Blood Services spokesperson said.
