Belgian Minister of Health changes the conditions for blood donation

04/05/17

Last week, the ministerial council approved a new proposal from the Belgian Minister of Health, Maggie De Block, regarding the conditions for blood donation. This proposal is based on the most recent scientific evidence, and puts an end to the lifelong blood donor exclusion of men who have sex with men (MSM). In the near future, sexual risk behavior rather than sexual orientation will become a key factor for blood donation.

In 2015, we conducted a systematic review to determine the risk of transfusion transmissible infections in MSM blood donors. Earlier studies already showed that the prevalence of transfusion transmissible infections is significantly higher in MSM, and our systematic review added to this evidence by showing a link between MSM contact in the past 12 months and HIV-1 infection. As such, MSM contact in the past year is still considered a sexual risk behavior and a temporary blood donor exclusion of 12 months is recommended. However, men who have not had sex with other men in the past 12 months will soon be able to donate blood.

In addition, the ministerial proposal also wishes to allow blood donation from people who suffer from hereditary hemochromatosis (iron overload) and who are in the maintenance phase (i.e. whose iron levels have been normalized). Regular phlebotomy is part of their treatment, but these blood donations are currently routinely destroyed. In 2012, a systematic review by CEBaP already showed that there is no evidence that blood from people who suffer from hemochromatosis does not comply with the physiological quality requirements for transfusion, nor that their blood would present a greater risk to the recipient safety. As such, it was recommended to include people with hemochromatosis and normalized iron levels as potential blood donors.