Health Canada removes sexual-behavior questions from sperm donor screening for gay and bisexual men

Health Canada confirmed that, starting in the upcoming fall season, its sperm-donor screening will drop questions about recent anal intercourse, a requirement that previously excluded many gay and bisexual men. The agency emphasized that all donors will continue to undergo rigorous infectious-disease testing and a minimum 180-day quarantine before release. The revision follows a constitutional challenge filed by Toronto donor Aziz M., who claimed the former rule violated Charter rights.

Advocacy group Egale Canada and experts such as Mona Loutfy and Emily McIntosh argued that current laboratory testing is sufficiently sensitive to ensure safety without probing sexual behavior. Officials said the update, made after stakeholder consultation, seeks to make donation policies non-discriminatory and to address a shortage of sperm donors in Canada.