Planning To Donate Blood in Canada?
Not if you are a sex worker.
UPDATE: In October 2022 Canadian Blood Services, with approval from Health Canada, reduced the lifetime ban from giving blood for selling sex to a one-year deferral. Triple-X president, Andy Sorfleet unpacks the continuing discrimination and stigma of this blood donation policy on the CATIE Blog: "Sex, Scandal and scapegoats: Canada's blood donation policy for sex workers."
"Government policies designed to protect the public's health should be based on scientific evidence, not prejudice. All questions regarding sexual services transactions as a basis for eligibility for donating blood must be removed to end this stigma."
- "Sex, Scandal and scapegoats: Canada's blood donation policy for sex workers," Andrew Sorfleet, CATIE Blog, December 5, 2022
- «Sexe, scandale et boucs &eactute;missaires : la politique du Canada concernant les dons de sang des travailleur·euse·s du sexe,» Andrew Sorfleet, Blogue de CATIE, decembre 5, 2022
- Triple-X Press Release: "Sex, Scandal and Scapegoats: Canada's Blood Donation Ban for Selling Sexual Services," July 27, 2022
- Submission to Health Canada regarding the Application by Canadian Blood Services for a one-year donation deferral for people selling sexual services, Triple-X Workers' Solidarity Association of B.C., July 25, 2022
- Letter to Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Health Canada, Triple-X Workers' Solidarity Assocation of B.C., July 25, 2022
- B.C. sex workers' group confronts stigma around STDs, Georgia Straight, July 21, 2020
"I feel this is a direct barrier to legal reforms that would make sex work a legal business – and a direct barrier to a professional association for sex workers," Sorfleet maintained. "The Public Health Agency of Canada needs to endorse decriminalization of prostitution, because occupational health and safety is an important avenue to address STBBI prevention."
Under Canada's previous blood donation policy, if you have "traded sex for money or drugs since 1977," there was a lifetime ban from donating blood. Canadian Blood Services announced that the indefinite deferral on blood donations for trading sex for money would be reduced to one year pending approval from Health Canada on May 27, 2022
In July, Triple-X submitted a brief to officials at Health Canada in support of removing the lifetime ban for sex workers. In the submission, Triple-X calls for the removal of all questions regarding sexual services transactions. "Sexual activity, not commercial activity, contributes to increased risk of sexually transmitted blood-borne infection (STBBI). Questions need to focus on sexual acts only."
Triple-X also asks that Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada endorse and advocate for the decriminalization of the purchase of sexual services (Criminal Code Section 286.1). "Occupational health and safety, and sex workers' role in the safe sex education of their clients, are important avenues to promote STBBI prevention."
Triple-X's submission to Health Canada includes a Special Edition full-colour insert featuring sex worker safe sex education in Canada from 1985 to 1995 to commemorate the 24th International AIDS Conference Montreal, 29 July - 2 August 2022. Triple-X is also distributing a commemorative enamel pin as part of their education campaign about Canadian blood donation policies for sex workers.
You can download our submission to Health Canada, here: Sex, Scandal and Scapegoats: Canada's Blood Donation Ban for Selling Sexual Services.
