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The Australian Red Cross is under siege following day one of a hearing in Hobart in which gay activists want bans on sexually active gay men giving blood lifted.
The Age reports the Red Cross as telling the hearing the proposed change would be an experiment with the blood supply that would make humans guinea pigs at real risk of HIV infection.
But Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome described the Red Cross opening statement as a "statistical diatribe against gay men."
"The Red Cross cited statistics about rates of HIV and other infections in the gay community which were misleading because the infections in question arise from unsafe sex, not gay sex, and because almost all these infections are increasing dramatically in other groups which aren't banned from blood donation," Croome said.
"It was particularly offensive and unprofessional for the Red Cross to assert that "monogamy is a myth" in regard to men who have sex with men," he said.
The challenge is being mounted by Launceston man, Michael Cain, who was rejected as a blood donor in October 2004.
Cain's solicitor, Peter Tree, said the risk of HIV infection was based on safety of sexual activity, not gender of sexual partner.
Tree said it was "illogical and medically flawed" to ban all sexually-active gay men from donating blood.
"The appropriate screen ought [to] be based on unsafe sexual activity," he said.
The hearing continues.
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