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City blood donor claims he was discriminated against
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A young gay man from the outskirts the city claims he has been discriminated against by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
21 year old Tomás Heneghan from Castlegar, has donated blood since he was 18.
However he was recently asked to attend a meeting regarding his sexual life and can’t donate blood until he has received consent from the blood transfusion service.
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service has a lifetime ban from donating blood on any man who has ever had sex with another man.
The IBTS says this is to protect the blood supply and potential donors have to fill in a questionnaire to determine their eligibility.
Galway man Tomás Heneghan says he has never been sexually active and has donated blood for the last three years.
According to the Irish Times, Tomás says he understands that if he become sexually active, he can no longer donate blood.
The Blood Transfusion Service says it can’t comment on individual cases.