On Wednesday 6 February, the House of Commons passed a bill allowing same sex couples to marry for the first time. Now Anthony Nolan is now encouraging members of the LGBT community to sign up for something else – the bone marrow register.
Dr Robert Lown, Medical Officer at Anthony Nolan, says, ‘In 2008, we made the decision to allow individuals to join our bone marrow register, regardless of their sexual practices.
‘Bone marrow donation is usually the last chance at survival for people with blood cancer and we do not want to deny them a donation from a safe donor. For example, an individual of any sexuality in a long-term monogamous relationship could be a suitable donor.’
Everyone wishing to join the register has to complete a medical questionnaire that includes several questions relating to lifestyle. Individuals of all sexualities who are involved in high-risk sexual practices that could leave them at risk to transmissible disease are not able to join the bone marrow register.
Doctors perform in-depth medical interviews prior to donation to assess risk of disease transmission, and counsel donors on avoiding risky behaviour prior to donation. Combined with robust modern screening tests, this ensures the safety of their bone marrow donations.
Leo Alexander Nicholas, 24, who joined the register in 2011, says, ‘As a gay man, there are many things that I can’t do, like giving blood or – before Wednesday – getting married! At some point, I could be the only person in the world who is a match for someone in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. If, at the time, the doctors decide that I am a suitable and safe donor, then I could save their life.’
Anthony Nolan particularly need young men to join the register as they are the most likely to be chosen by doctors to donate. Joining the register involves filling in a form and giving a saliva sample. If you are aged 16–30, you can join the register.
For press enquiries, please contact Amy Evans on 020 7424 6645 or email amy.evans@anthonynolan.org