Varying restrictions on MSM sperm donations go as far back as 1996. The three-month restriction came into effect in February 2020 under the Safety of Sperm and Ova Regulations.īefore that, men who have sex with men, or MSM donors, were required to abstain from sex for one year before donating. The announcement about blood donations was a significant step forward for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, who have long condemned the rules as discriminatory, but a man who has had sex with another man in the last three months is still unable to donate his sperm.
Canadian Blood Services is set to lift its remaining restrictions on donations from gay and bisexual men later this year, but rules remain for another type of much-needed donation.
