Russia may reintroduce gay blood ban and provide voluntary gay conversion therapy
Russia may resurrect its ban preventing gay men from donating blood and also introduce measures for voluntary gay-to-straight conversion therapy, a senior Russian MP has said.
Russia Today reports State Duma MP Mikhail Degtyarev, who is also a Moscow mayoral candidate from the populist-nationalist party LDPR, saying: “We will suggest amendments to the law on donors that reintroduce homosexuality to the list of contraindications for blood donations in Health Ministry instructions.”
The federal ban on blood donations by gay men was lifted in 2008.
At a Moscow news conference, Mr Degtyarev claimed 65% of gay Russians are HIV positive – although he failed to give a source for the statistic.
The MP also said that the lower house of Russia’s Parliament was working on an initiative to offer voluntary gay-to-straight conversion therapy.
The comments are likely to alarm and anger LGBT rights campaigners, with Russia already facing calls to overturn censorship laws governing “gay propaganda”.
Mr Degtyarev suggested it was possible for Pride parades to meet the criteria of the legislation – if for instance they were held at “night”, “without amplifiers” and away from children.
Oleg Salagay, press secretary for Russia’s Health Ministry, told reporters that experts would study the blood donation suggestions and respond in due course.
Mr Salagay cited America’s blanket ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM).
86 members of the US Congress signed a letter urging for the ban to be lifted in August.
They can donate – providing they refrain from having sex with men for 12 months.
The one-year deferral was chosen in part because of Hepatitis B, which disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men.
While there is a four-week window between transmission and detection of HIV, Hepatitis B can take up to a year to be cleared by the body.
The one-year deferral was chosen in part because of Hepatitis B, which disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men.
While there is a four-week window between transmission and detection of HIV, Hepatitis B can take up to a year to be cleared by the body.
