High risk organ donors 

How about an anus transplant - now that would be a bit on the nose 

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By Hilary White

OTTAWA, January 10, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Earlier this week, the federal government came under attack after the CBC reported that active homosexual men are barred from being organ donors because of the high risk of disease associated with homosexual activity. The Globe and Mail reported yesterday, however, that transplant groups denied that active homosexual men are barred from donating organs.

"Several transplant organisations" told the Globe that the rules that came into effect in December only "formalize" existing procedures that screen organs for disease.

Mark Meloche, head of the surgery section at the British Columbia Transplant Society said, "We will still consider all organs and all donors. We still consider the use of them, depending on the circumstances. It's all part of a risk assessment."

Male donors who have had sexual contact with another man in the last five years, as well as those who have been in prison recently or intravenous drug users are considered high risk groups for serious diseases under the rules. These rules, the Globe says, do not outright ban doctors from receiving organs from members of these high risk groups.

The Health Canada regulations say specifically that a doctor must "determine that the donor is not unsuitable to donate on the basis of the contraindications or exclusion criteria," which are laid out by the Canadian Standards Association guidelines.

Meanwhile, Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), the agency responsible for organ and tissue donation in Ontario, has issued a media release saying that "anyone" can donate organs in the province.

"We don't exclude anyone from being an organ donor, in fact we are very grateful when someone decides to donate because this is a decision that saves lives," said the organisation's Chief Medical Officer of Transplant, Dr. Jeff Zaltzman. "There are stringent rules and regulations to ensure the safety of the public, but we work as hard as we can within those rules to ensure that every organ donated can save lives."

The Trillium Gift of Life Network offers organs from high risk groups to transplant programs while disclosing the possible risk. "At that time the transplant program will decide whether to accept the organ for transplant," Dr. Zaltzman said.

The Trillium Gift of Life Network media release noted, that "all donors are screened for transmittable diseases prior to utilization of their organs regardless of their donor history."

In November, the Chicago Tribune reported that an investigation was launched after four organ transplant patients in Chicago contracted HIV and hepatitis C from an infected donor last January. The Tribune reports that the infected donor had not tested positive for the diseases, likely because the infections were too recent to register on screening tests.

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Canadian Homosexuals Barred from Organ Donations as High Medical Risk