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Screening of blood will pick up BBVs as long as the infection was acquired more than three months ago (much earlier for HIV).
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This is a period of time after someone acquires a BBV where the test won't show as positive yet. However, all screening tests have what’s called a ‘window period’. All donated blood in the UK is screened for BBVs. The UK today has one of the safest blood supplies in the world. Why do they ask questions about sexual behaviour when someone goes to donate blood?īlood-borne viruses (BBVs), such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, can be transmitted via donated blood products if present but not identified.
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FAIR made recommendations to SaBTO (Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs) which in turn made recommendations to the Government. Public Health England and the University of Nottingham were also involved along with charities from the LGBT+ and HIV sectors, including National AIDS Trust. It was set up to consider how risk could be assessed on a more individual basis when people go to donate blood. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) led a steering group called FAIR (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk). Read on for more details about how these changes came about and what they mean in practice. These changes affect the assessment that donors complete when they give blood. Today the Government announced rule changes that will allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood in the UK.