Canada's policy of banning blood donations from sexually active gay men is counterproductive and needs to change, some doctors say.

Since 1983, blood agencies in Canada, the U.S., and other industrialized countries have permanently deferred blood donations from men who have sex with men because of the possibility of infection with HIV/AIDS.

At the time, the approach was justified by the lack of scientific knowledge of the infection, the higher prevalence of HIV among such men, and the lack of a blood test to screen donors for HIV infection. But in Tuesday's issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Mark Wainberg of Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Norbert Gilmore of McGill University Health Centre and their co-authors argue for the ban to be reconsidered.

"A change in policy, based on scientific evidence, would remove this prejudice," the authors write. "A delicate balance must be reached between the risk of contaminating the blood supply and the benefits associated with increasing the donor pool."

Meanwhile, several court cases are underway in Canada challenging the ban against blood donation by sexually active gay men, arguing the donations should be permitted under carefully defined conditions.

Read more:

Blood testing: Do you have confidence in the current system? Take our poll.