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Canada has imposed sweeping restrictions on who can donate organs for transplant - including a ban on gay men who have been sexually active in the past five years - and a leading doctor says he fears the move could deter potential donors.
The restrictions, which also cover drug addicts, prisoners, prostitutes and people who have had tattoos or body piercings in the past 12 months using shared needles, came into effect last month.
"The safety of the cells, tissues and organs intended for transplantation is paramount. These regulations are based on risk for safety purposes and not lifestyle choices," said a Health Canada spokeswoman.
The rules include a loophole that allows doctors to use healthy organs from a person in a high-risk group as long as they first inform the patient receiving the transplant.
- REUTERS
