A new campaign from Lush Cosmetics has highlighted the disparities in blood donation rules.
Until recently, men who have sex with men were banned from donating blood across the UK.
The government opted to relax the rules recently – initially saying gay men cannot donate blood within 12 months of being sexually active, and then lowering it to 12 weeks.
The blanket deferral period for gay men, which was intended to help prevent HIV contamination of blood supplies, has come under increasing scrutiny for failing to reflect modern screening capabilities.
The government said the changes, which were recommended by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) , are “based on the most up to date scientific evidence and medical advances, which will offer more people the opportunity to donate blood without affecting the safety of the blood supply”.
Now Lush has showcased an incredible piece of art to highlight the disparity in rules.
Lush Summit filled a bath with red liquid to highlight just how much blood a healthy gay men could donate across their life.
The amount of blood is enough to save 53 people’s lives.
‘Blood bath’ (Photo: Lush)
The post has already been shared more than 1600 times.
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