THE British Department of Health has confirmed it will review a law which stops gay men from donating blood for 12 months after having sex.
In the 1980s, gay men were banned completely from donating blood at the height of the HIV/Aids crisis.
This was amended in 2011 to prevent gay men who have had sex in the past 12 months from donating blood, but the Department of Health has said it is time to look again at the issue.
Similar laws apply in the US, where gay men have been prevented from giving blood to victims of the Orlando massacre.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "Making sure that the blood supply is safe is an absolute priority.
"Donor deferral for men who have sex with men was changed from lifetime to 12 months in 2011 but five years later it is time to look again at the question.
"Our expert advisory committee are currently undertaking a review on whether the rules should change and we will base any decisions on their expert advice."
According to information provided by the Department, men who have sex with men continue to have statistically higher levels of blood-borne infections and sexually transmitted infections than other groups.
Of the 6,151 new cases of HIV in 2014, 54 per cent (3,360) were among gay men.
The reasoning behind the 12-month rule is that anyone with a recent infection who gives blood may have levels of disease that cannot be picked up by current screening tests.
