Thai Red Cross Refuses Blood from LGBT Community

The Thai Red Cross Societies National Blood Centre said on Tuesday is not yet ready to relax the strict criteria for gay men blood donors from the LGBT community. National Blood Centre said it empathized with the appeal by the LGBT community regarding donating blood but they cannot relax their strict criteria especially from this high-risk group.

The Thai Red Cross Society issued a statement after the HIV Foundation Asia and Bangkok Rainbow Organisation, urged the Thai Red Cross to accept blood from the LGBT community, especially when blood donations are in short supply.

In a statement, The National Blood Centre said it was committed to its mission to care for people with compassion in line with the principles of the International Red Cross. The Thai Red Cross respects the human rights of every person equally and without discrimination.”

The National Blood Centre is following the International Red Cross society’s blood donation criteria for men who have sex with men (MSM) in many countries over the last decade. Furthermore, the National Blood Centre has been monitoring medical science in order to initiate improvements in Thailand.

Before the criteria for men who have sex with men (MSM) and others in the LGBT, community group can be relaxed, the HIV infection rate among donors must drop to below one in 100,000 donors per year. Saying this would require better sex education and cooperation from all sectors in Thai society.