A former Whanganui student is working on a ground-breaking study on blood donation.
Whanganui Collegiate old boy Josh McCormack, now a fifth-year medical student at Auckland University, is one of the fieldwork co-ordinators on the SPOTS: Sex and Prevention Of Transmission Study team.
The medical study aims to make blood donation fairer for gay, bisexual, takatāpui and other men who have sex with men (MSM). The researchers want to hear from 4000 MSM about their views on blood donation and their safe sex practices.
McCormack said he was excited to be part of the hands-on experience in researching and promoting health equity for LGBTQI+ communities in Aotearoa.
"Studies like this lead to better education and understanding for everyone," he said.
Now a Rainbow Communities Representative for the Auckland University Medical Students' Association (AUMSA), McCormack said he was not so "out and proud" in his teens and did not come out until his second year at university.
"There wasn't inclusive sex education when I was at school and, while the level of awareness might have improved, I think there's still a lot of work to be done in terms of education," McCormack said.
"Having knowledge gives young people confidence and that in turn helps them to be honest with themselves and the people around them which leads to the right kind of support."
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Advertise with NZME.While the restrictions on blood donations were discriminatory, sexually active gay men were vulnerable to contracting HIV and education was key in making them safe, he said.
"In order to understand the rules, it's important to know why they are there and whether they need to be challenged."
Every time a person in Aotearoa donates blood it potentially saves three lives; however, only 4 per cent of New Zealand's eligible population is making regular donations and some willing donors are excluded because there are perceived risks involved.
People who lived or travelled in the UK, France or Republic of Ireland between 1980 and 1996 for more than six months are ineligible due to vCJD (mad cow disease) affecting those countries at the time. Anyone who has ever injected drugs not prescribed by a doctor can't donate.
In addition, there are temporary exclusions for women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, people who have recently had tattoos, and sexually active gay men are required to wait three months following oral or anal sex, with or without a condom, with another man, or following use of PrEP (HIV prevention drugs).
Dr Peter Saxton, lead investigator at the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, said many MSM wanted to donate blood and saw the current policy as discriminatory and unscientific, given recent advances in HIV prevention.
"The NZ Blood Service agrees that some MSM present a low risk for donating blood, but the organisation lacks evidence to improve the policy further," Saxton said.
"Our study will be the first to provide that evidence."
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Advertise with NZME.Whanganui's blood donor service has recently moved from under Wellington's umbrella to NZ Blood Service's Waikato region.
Regional team leader Steve Dalgety said a co-ordinator would make regular visits to Whanganui and would encourage local donors.
Dalgety said it was frustrating when eligible donors were excluded when there was insufficient evidence to support the need for it.
"Until last year, the exclusion timeframe for MSM donors in New Zealand was one year so we are catching up with overseas practices. The SPOTS study is timely and, hopefully, the findings will enable more people to donate blood more often."
Meanwhile, Whanganui people are encouraged to think about becoming donors.
"It doesn't take up a lot of time - you're helping save lives and you get a cup of tea and a choccy biscuit afterward," he said.
"We will be asking Whanganui workplaces and schools to get involved.
"Colleagues encourage each other and we want to encourage young people to become lifelong donors. When we ask people what donated blood is used for they most often say 'for surgeries' or 'to replace blood loss in accident victims' but a lot of it, around 29 per cent, is used for cancer treatments."
Dalgety said education was an important part of the process and visiting workplaces and schools provided opportunities for people to be fully informed on the decision to become a donor.
McCormack said while he supported the plan, he would like to know that the education would be inclusive of LGBTQI+ workers and students.
"There might be sexually active young people in those places who haven't felt able to come out yet and they need to know the specifics of what becoming a blood donor means for them," he said.
"They might feel pressured into joining their coworkers and fellow students and they need to know what the implications are for them."
Young people needing information and support can contact Pride Whanganui via Facebook, Instagram or by sending an email to info@pridewhanganui.co.nz. To enquire about becoming a blood donor visit nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 448 325. To find our more about the SPOTS study visit spots.org.nz
