Wire Worry Week: Blood donation for gay and bisexual men

This week's Wire Worry topic is LGBT issues/Pride. Today, we focus on a particularly sensitive issue: blood donations from gay and bisexual men. 

Although the situation of MSM ("men who have sex with men") donations has improved in the last 10 years, there is stil a one year deferral period. This means: if you are a sexually active gay or bisexual man, you have to go through a year of total abstinence if you want to give your blood. 

The Wednesday Wire team discusses the deferral, the science behind it, and whether it can be perceived as discriminatory. Facts and figures provided by our producer Lisa Boudet. 

We had contacted NZ Blood Service for comment but no one was available at the time to speak on the matter, so bear in mind this discussion is only a fragment of a longer report, which will be broadcasted and uploaded soon.