Britain's National Health Service has eased the restrictions on bisexual and gay men, allowing them to donate blood, NPR reports.
Unlike in the United States, gay and bi men in Britain were allowed to donate blood if they had not had sexual contact with another man in the last three months. Men who have had sex with other men are barred from donating blood, regardless of the timeframe.
The new rules allow anyone who has had the same sexual partner for three or more months, regardless of gender, to donate blood providing that there's been no exposure to a sexually transmitted disease.
The change in the rules recognizes that transmission of sexually transmitted disease, including HIV/AIDS, is more likely to occur from greater sexual contact with multiple partners, regardless of gender.
"Donors will no longer be asked to declare if they have had sex with another man, making the criteria for blood donation gender neutral and more inclusive," the National Health Service said in a statement. "A set of other deferrals will also be introduced for the other higher risk sexual behaviours identified, such as if a person recently had chemsex [using drugs to enhance sex], and updated for anyone who has had syphilis."