Follows plea from Manx 'Heartstopper' actor
Government says it's committed to changing the Island's blood donor selection criteria to make it fairer and more inclusive.
It follows a call from Manx actor Joe Locke who recorded a video for this year's Pride in which he called for a change to the law that excludes gay men from giving blood.
The star of the Netflix 'Heartstopper' series said there was still work to be done on the Island to provide equal rights for everyone.
The UK relaxed its rules on giving blood last year to enable gay men to become blood donors.
The Manx Government has told Manx Radio:
'In future donors would not be asked about their sexuality and men who have sex with men would no longer be automatically prevented from giving blood.
"Instead a person’s eligibility to donate would be based solely on an assessment of their individual experiences, as part of their pre-donation health check.'
This approach would mirror changes to blood donation policy in the United Kingdom in 2011, 2017 and 2020, which were based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.
Government says it hopes to provide an update in the first quarter of 2023.
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