SC seeks Centre’s reply on bar on transgenders from donating blood

New Delhi, March 5 : The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre’s response on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the guidelines in the Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral, 2017, which prohibit transgender persons, gay men and female sex workers from donating blood, as they are considered a high-risk category as being HIV/AIDS infected.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said “it does not understand such medical matters”.
The plea was filed by Thangjam Santa Singh, a resident of Manipur, through advocate Anindita Pujari.
The petitioner, who claimed to be a writer and gender rights activist, saidin the plea, “In fact, all blood units that are collected from the donors are tested for infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS, and hence permanently excluding them from donating blood and categorising them as high risk only on the basis of their gender identity and sexual orientation is violative of their right to be treated equally as other blood donors.” After hearing senior advocate Jayna Kothari, appearing for the petitioner, the bench said: “We will see the replies by the government.” The top court also declined to stay the guidelines of the Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral, 2017.