Michael Ignatieff, the leader of the federal Liberal Party, has outlined some important topics to be discussed at the upcoming party policy convention—and addressing the recent ban on gay organ donors is one of them.

Health Canada, under the direction of the Conservative government, banned all gay men from donating organs in December of 2007—even if a transplant patient urgently requires an organ to survive. The bizarre move drew immediate criticism from the medical community as being scientifically unfounded and dangerous, and doctors have outright refused to comply with the ban.

Still, the rule is officially on the books, and the Tories have shown no interest in reversing it. Considering that there are no alternative procedures for organ transplants, that all organs are screened for diseases, and that there is a constant shortage of donors, turfing the ban seems like a no-brainer to me. Here’s hoping the Liberals make it a quick policy point!

• Ignatieff calls Liberal policy convention ‘about plenty’ [The Hill Times]

Got a relative in desperate need of a kidney or a lung? Are you a gay man? Well, tell your sick grandma to take a hike! According to new Health Canada regulations, your organs aren’t fit for her.

As of December, Health Canada has barred all sexually active gay men from donating organs—even if they’re in monogamous relationships or have been tested. A spokesperson for the government organisation cited a risk of HIV and hepatitis as the rationale for the ban.

You heard right. Apparently, the risk of having a gay man (as opposed to anyone else) lie about his health to donate an organ, somehow fool the disease-testing process, the family interview process, and infect a transplant patient is a far greater risk that leaving that patient on a long waiting list, desperate for short-supplied body parts.

Dr. Gary Levy, the head of Canada’s largest organ transplant center, is defying the new regulations:

We have not been informed, first of all, that Health Canada is considering this. Organ donation and the opportunity to save a life at a specific time—we have no substitute therapies.

Obviously if Health Canada wishes to discuss [banning donors], we would hope they would engage all stakeholders.

Approximately 4000 Canadians are currently waiting for an organ transplant. Levy predicts that out of the mere 100 donors each year at his hospital, seven donors will be rejected with these new regulations.

With the gay blood ban, and now this… Lives are at stake and healthy donors are being rejected. What is Health Canada thinking?

Thanks to Nick and Tiana for alerting me to this one!

• Sexually active gay men no longer allowed to donate organs [CBC News]

Canadian Blood Services is still amidst controversy for its heavy-handed blood donor’s questionnaire. Any man who has had sex with another man, even once, since 1977 is permanently banned from donating blood for life—even if he’s in a monogamous relationship and practices safe sex.

University groups across the country have been protesting this policy—and rightfully so. Statistically, the fastest growing HIV demographic in Canada is young, heterosexual women, which makes up over a quarter of all HIV infections. Yet, according to Blood Services, all gay men are publicly labelled as posing a special danger unshared by the rest of the HIV demographic.

So why does Canadian Blood Services—or, more specifically, Health Canada—continue to uphold the ban? It can’t be statistics; just last May, the American Red Cross called bans on gay blood “medically and scientifically unwarranted,” and other countries—including Italy and Australia—do not permanently ban their gay population from donating.

Whatever the rationale, until Canada’s infamous “question 18″ is re-worded to screen for risky behaviours instead of simple sexual orientation, healthy gay men will be forbidden to donate and save lives. Including George Smitherman. He’s Ontario’s Health Minister.

How’s that for irony?

• Students want screening of blood donors changed [CBC News]
• Students want gay blood donor ban scrapped [Canada.com]
• Blood donation policy rankles students [Star Phoenix]