Promiscuous men cannot donate blood

Men with jobs that take them away on trek for a period of three months or more are not permitted to donate blood, as "men with such jobs may be having other sexual partners."

This is to prevent the transmission of viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis's B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) to the recipient of such blood product.

However, officials in-charge of blood have no way of guaranteeing that men in this category are prevented from donating blood.

The Independent reports that the Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Dr (Mrs) Justina Kordai Ansah as saying that "The nurses who take potential donors through the health check, depend largely on answers donors give."

"The health staff have no guarantee to know who is telling a lie or truth," she added.

To counter this prevailing situation, Dr Kordai Ansah suggested the encouragement of voluntarism in blood donation, as the voluntary donor has nothing to lose if disqualified or deferred for any reason.