Is There A Ban on Organ Donations from Gay Men?

Filed Under AIDS/HIV, Health, Politics | January 10th, 2008 

As you may know, I’ve been following this ‘organ donor’ story for the last couple of days. I first posted about it here: Canada’s Organ Donor Flap. That post mentions a story by the CBC in which they report on new rules by Health Canada about how gay men are banned from being organ donors. They also mention in that no one seems to know anything about these new rules.

Today, the Liberal Party of Canada had this information/statement: Conservatives’ Ban of Organ Donations by Gay Men Done in Secret!

Also today, the Globe and Mail has this story: New organ donation rules don’t exclude gay men — according to several Canadian transplant associations.

Health Canada seems to be silent on the issue.

I’ve emailed the NDP to see if they know anything about this mess of a story.

One thing that came to mind last night as I was thinking about this story and the Liberal’s press release also reinforced this question or thought — and that thought is this: Is Harper’s government doing a backroom harmonization deal of our Health Care regulations with American interests?

If that’s the case, may I suggest everyone get a copy of Michael Moore’s documentary, SiCKO and review it? Well I am suggesting it… ;)

Regardless, there’s alot of unanswered questions and concerns with this story.

Update Jan. 11th: I’ve found an important piece to this story that no one has published yet; even though all the press have been writing about it: – Safety of Human Cells, Tissues and Organs for Transplantation Regulations: June 27, 2007, Part II, Part 2, Volume 141, Number 13, Canada Gazette.