MONTREAL - The agency responsible for Canada's blood supply says there are no immediate plans to further relax restrictions on gay and bisexual blood donors despite the fact officials are testing the waters on the idea.
Canadian Blood Services lifted its lifetime donation ban on men who have sex with men in 2013, allowing those who had been abstinent for five years to donate.
Now, a new online survey, conducted by the polling firm Ipsos Reid on behalf of the agency, asks whether Canadians would be in favour of cutting the deferral period down to one year.
But Dr. Mindy Goldman of Canadian Blood Services says the agency isn't considering such a move at the moment.
Goldman says the survey is an attempt to gather views about possible changes that could be made in the next few years.
Canadian Blood Services announced in September its blood supply is "critically low" and appealed to all eligible donors to make a blood donation immediately.