'Our perspective is that if you have a behaviour-based donor deferral in place, that is the safest way to operate a public health system,' said executive director Kat Lanteigne. Independent watchdog group said although it supports Wednesday's announcement, it's also asking Health Canada and CBS to change the donor-screening process.
'I find that very discriminatory and homophobic,' he said. Karas points to the CBS blood-donation questionnaire, which asks under the heading 'lifestyle' if a potential male blood donor has had sex with another man. Kat Lanteigne, head of the safety watchdog group Blood Watch, says the best way to protect Canada's blood supply is to screen for behaviours that might put individuals at risk of HIV infection, rather than labelling entire groups as high risk donors.
