Italian Lesbian Rejected As Blood Donor

A hospital in Rome has been accused of turning away a lesbian blood donor.

The woman, 39, who's being referred to in the media as "Angela," says an official at Policlinico Umberto I hospital turned her away, saying she was "considered at risk," even though she told the official she had been in a monogamous relationship for more than the 120 days required.

According to Worldcrunch, this is "the third such case in recent years" in which a health official has rejected a potential donor because of the so-called health "risks" of being gay.

The director of the blood transfusion center at Umberto I says there is no law against gay people donating blood. "In general, 'at risk' people cannot do it," she said. "It's up to the examining doctor to determine the risk on the base of the information provided."

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