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Donors' perspectives on self‐deferral of men having sex with men from blood donation
Author(s) -
Lee CheukKwong,
Lee Krystal ChiKei,
Lin CheKit,
Lee ShuiShan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.12365
Subject(s) - deferral , medicine , blood donor , donation , family medicine , men who have sex with men , demography , gynecology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , immunology , accounting , syphilis , sociology , economics , economic growth , business
Background Self‐deferral of men having sex with men ( MSM ) from blood donation is a means of protecting blood safety. There has recently been a strategy change from permanent to time‐limited deferral in some countries. Awareness and attitudes of donors is crucial for effective implementation of MSM deferral or any change of the strategy. Study Design and Methods A postdonation survey was administered using a W eb‐based questionnaire, after explanation by trained volunteers, to evaluate donors' awareness and compliance toward the health history enquiry ( HHE , the deferral questionnaire) of the H ong K ong R ed C ross B lood T ransfusion S ervice, sexual experiences, and opinions on permanent versus time‐limited deferral. Results A total of 1373 C hinese donors (male:female 1.28:1), a majority (89.1%) of whom were repeat donors, completed the survey at eight blood donation centers. Almost all (98.7%) were aware of HHE , although only half read it in detail, the latter comprising more experienced donors. Most did not hold strong views on deferral, with more than half (59.4%) concurring with both permanent and time‐limited deferral. Seventeen (3.2%) of the sexually active male donors were MSM , of whom six disagreed with permanent deferral while seven agreed with changing to time‐limited deferral. A simpler question structure was preferred by 57% of the respondents for screening MSM to achieve self‐deferral. Conclusions Donors generally do not read through the deferral questionnaire in sufficient detail for making an informed decision. Blood safety would eventually depend on donors' compliance with the deferral mechanism, irrespective of whether it is permanent or time‐limited.