Press release: Removing the discriminatory statement from the questionnaire

On October 10, 2012 Sarajevo Open Centre has met with the representatives of the Blood Transfusion Institute of Federation of B&H regarding the change of the mandatory questionnaire for the voluntary blood donors, where we have constated that the new questionnaire

emphasises high risk sexual behaviour as the deferral criteria for voluntary blood donors, while sexual orientation is not mentioned at all, removing like that any discriminatory statement.

This achievement is the result of the successful work of the Sarajevo Open Centre and other LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists, as well as the good cooperation with the representatives of the Blood Transfusion Institute of FB&H.

Below is Sarajevo Open Centre’s Press release.

Press release: Removing the discriminatory statement from the questionnaire of voluntary blood donation

Yesterday, on the 10th of October of 2012, Sarajevo Open Centre has met with the representatives of the Blood Transfusion Institute of Federation of B&H regarding the change of the mandatory questionnaire for the voluntary blood donors which had prohibited “all the individuals who had temporary or permanent sexual contacts with homosexuals” to donate blood. This meeting is the result of the successful work of the Sarajevo Open Centre and other LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists, as well as the good cooperation with the representatives of the Blood Transfusion Institute of FB&H.

The communication between Sarajevo Open Centre and the Blood Transfusion Institute had lasted from the end of the November of 2011 until the today’s meeting with the representatives of the Institute. In the today’s meeting, the representatives of the Institution stated that the changes of the questionnaire were made in accordance to the Rules for particular technical demands for blood and blood products which were adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health on the 16th of November of 2011. and presented the new questionnaire in which the regulation that prohibits „ all the individuals who have temporary or constant sexual contacts with homosexuals“ to donate blood is removed and replaced with a question „Have you had sexual contact with the person with increased risk in the last 12 months?“. The new questionnaire emphasises high risk sexual behaviour as the deferral criteria for voluntary blood donors, while sexual orientation is not mentioned at all, which means that the discrimination of the potential voluntary blood donors on the ground of their sexual orientation is removed.

The term risky sexual behaviour will be explained to every potential donor in particular when accessing the blood donation by the technicians of the Institute. The representatives of the Institute have stated in the meeting that their technicians will be obliged by the official statement of the Institute in their work with potential donors on which behaviour is considered risky. This should prevent the discrimination of LGBT persons who want to donate blood by the individual
employees of the Institute.

The new questionnaire represents a good foundation for the cooperation between healthcare institutions and Sarajevo Open Centre; we hope that this cooperation will continue in the future and that the personnel of the Blood Transfusion Institute of FBiH will act professionally and ethically towards LGBT persons who want to donate blood.

Sarajevo Open Centre will continue its work on the elimination of discrimination in the health care with the Institution for transfusion medicine of Republic of Srpska.