NI: 1 Year Rule

From the BBC:
"Gay blood donation: Lifetime ban in NI on gay men donating blood lifted"

Northern Ireland's lifetime ban on gay men donating blood is to be lifted on Thursday. The move means men whose last sexual contact with another man was more than 12 months ago will be free to donate blood so long as they meet the other donor criteria.  The change to policy was announced by Health minister Michelle O'Neill in June. It brings Northern Ireland into line with England, Scotland and Wales. Ms O'Neill is lifting the ban in favour of a '"one-year deferral system" as is the case in the rest of the UK. This means that gay and bisexual men can give blood one year after their last sexual contact with another man.   Ms O'Neill said patient safety remained paramount. "Surveillance data from England, Scotland and Wales and survey evidence from across Britain and the north of Ireland have provided assurance that the risk is lower with a one-year deferral.  "My decision is based on the evidence regarding the safety of donated blood." The change will be implemented by the Blood Transfusion Service from Thursday and means the criteria will be in line with other groups who are deferred from giving blood for 12 months due to infection risks associated with sexual behaviours.  Previously in Northern Ireland, any man who had sex with another man was banned from giving blood permanently. A ban on gay men donating blood was brought in across the UK during the 1980s AIDS crisis, but was lifted in England, Scotland and Wales in November 2011.

^I'm not sure why it always takes Northern Ireland much longer than the rest of the UK (or Ireland for that matter) to make things legal. Homosexuality in England and Wales became legal in the late 1960s, but it wasn't until the early 1980s that it became legal in Northern Ireland. Then Gay Marriage became legal in Scotland, Wales and England (and Ireland) but still remains illegal in Northern Ireland. You can't blame religion on this one because the rest of the UK is mainly Protestant and it's legal there and Ireland is mainly Catholic and it's legal there. I think the Northern Irish "miss" having something/someone to hate and so rather than going after another religion they are going a minority group. I don't think any country should have the 1 year donation rule (or the ban) for homosexuals unless they have the same rule (or ban) for heterosexuals. It's still discrimination. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-37235281