Northern Ireland has drastically reduced the time gay and bisexual men must wait after sex before donating blood. The country previously insisted on a one year deferral period, but due to the global coronavirus pandemic pressuring countries around the world to review discriminatory bans, it has now been reduced to three months.
The change will take effect on 1 June 2020, and will bring Northern Ireland’s policies on blood donation into line with the rest of the UK, which has had a three-month