As it stands, the current policies of the Canadian Blood Services exclude specific groups of people from donating, despite the current proven health of the individual. It is believed that the reasons for these exclusions are based on outdated statistics and stereotypes.

Canadian Blood Services also allows the donations from people who have inadequate knowledge of their personal health, and who engage in acts that are also high of risk of spreading viral diseases like HIV, Hepatitis, etc.

Despite these restrictions, infected blood still becomes circulated. What we are hoping to see is a shift in the systems in place. Rather than basing donations on barring the cultures and acts of specific people, the onus of health would best be placed on each donor individually. This would allow more possible donors, which would also allow more blood to be donated, which can help the current shortage.

The specific groups in question are as follows:

• Any person who has lived in Africa since 1977
• Any person who has had sex with someone from Africa since 1977
• Any male who has had sex with a male since 1977
• Any female who has had sex with a male who has had sex with another male since 1977
• Any person who was born, or lived for a period longer than 6 months, in Mexico, Central America or South America
• Any person whose mother or grandmother were born in Mexico, Central America or South America
• Any person who has lived in Europe for a period longer than 5 years since 1980
• Any person who has visited the U.K. or France for a period longer than 3 months between 1980 and 1996
• Any person who has paid, or been paid, for sex
• Any person who has taken illegal drugs with a needle

The Canadian Blood Services review their policies every few years, they last reviewed these issues in 2007, which means that they will be reviewed again soon. This makes this petition even more important

If you are able to donate I encourage you to please do so, as the Canadian Blood Services is in short supply and needs our support. If you are ineligible to donate, please DO NOT lie as means to donate blood. Actions like this go completely against the morals, respect and support we are trying to display for Canadian Blood Services, and it's recipients.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please write an additional comment to your signature sharing your thoughts and feelings about this.

We the undersigned are requesting that the Parliament of Canada and Canadian Blood Services research and find alternate policies to allow for higher quantity and quality of donor.

The policies that are requesting to be reviewed target the following groups:

• Any person who has lived in Africa since 1977

• Any person who has had sex with someone from Africa since 1977

• Any male who has had sex with another male since 1977

• Any female who has had sex with a male who has had sex with another male since 1977

• Any person who was born, or has visited for longer than 6 months, anywhere in Mexico, Central America or South America.

• Any person who's mother or grandmother was born in Mexico, Central America, or South America

• Any person who has lived in Europe for longer than 5 years since 1980

• Any person who has been in the UK or France for longer than 3 months from 1980 to 1996

• Any person who has ever paid or been paid, for sex

• Any person who has ever taken illegal substances with a needle or has had sex with someone who has

We believe that barring these individuals from donating blood is an inaccurate generalization based on outdated statistics and stereotypes.

As it stands, the current system allows incentive for donors to lie about their personal history, but also allows people with inadequate knowledge of their personal health, who engage in acts that are high risk, to donate blood.

We hope to see a system put in place that changes the onus from behavioral, to one of proof of personal health. By doing this, we hope to see an increase in possible donors as well as a decrease in infected blood being circulated.

We thank you for your time and effort in considering our request.