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Compliance and attitudes of blood donors following transitioning from permanent to 12‐month deferral of men who have sex with men in Hong Kong
Author(s) -
Lau Janice YingChui,
Lee CheukKwong,
Chan ChinPok,
Leung Jennifer NgarSze,
Poon ChinMan,
Lee ShuiShan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/vox.13025
Subject(s) - deferral , medicine , men who have sex with men , demography , blood donor , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , immunology , accounting , business , syphilis , sociology
Background and Objectives Blood safety hinges not just on the scientific rationale for deferral period but potential donors' compliance with the prevailing policy. This study aimed to investigate donors' awareness, attitudes and compliance with the two‐phased policy implementation of time‐limited deferral for men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hong Kong. Materials and Methods Three rounds of questionnaire survey were conducted between July 2017 and June 2019 covering the periods of pre‐implementation (Round A), post‐implementation without and with pre‐donation questionnaire revision (Round B and C). Chi‐square test and multivariable regression analysis were performed. Results Of 3085 donors recruited, 968, 1036 and 1081 completed the surveys in Round A, B and C, respectively. The non‐compliance rate of MSM remained stable at 0·6% (3/497), 0·4% (2/551) and 0·5% (3/587) among male donors in Round A, B and C, respectively. Two MSM donors from Round C complying with the prevailing policy were identified. About two‐thirds (60·7%) of respondents from Round B and C were unaware of the policy change. Overall, over 80% were either neutral or positive about the change. Conclusion Our study showed a consistently low non‐compliance rate of MSM over the three periods. The generally high level of acceptance of time‐limited deferral among donors lends support to science‐based policy development to protect blood safety. The identification of compliant MSM donors suggests that the 12‐month deferral is effective and acceptable to MSM. With a deferral period far exceeding the window period, it is a step towards a more equitable policy.