Greek gay and bisexual men can no longer donate blood

Greece has reinstated the ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with other men (MSM). This ban had been lifted in 2022 by the Ministry of Health.

As in most countries, Greek MSM were previously not allowed to donate blood in order to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The Ministry lifted the ban partly due to the global blood shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the Greek Council of State ruled that the Ministry, in lifting the ban, disregarded medical recommendations from experts and that the decision was not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence. The Council therefore decided that the ban on blood donations by MSM will remain in effect until a scientific evaluation has been conducted.