Liam Dee died from a rare and aggressive cancer last Nov. 10. A donation screening form from that date says his tissues were declined due to his "homosexual status." MacDonald said Dee was considered a high-risk tissue donor because of his marriage to a man and the likelihood that he had sex in the previous five years, cited as a factor in increased risk of transmitting HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada suggests that of the new HIV infections in 2020, 43.8 were among men who reported having sex with a man in the previous six to 12 months, while heterosexual relationships accounted for 33.6 per cent of cases. In Nova Scotia, as in some other provinces, men who have sex with men must be abstinent for five years if they want to donate tissues as part of a policy aimed at preventing transmission of such infectious diseases to recipients. Do you agree with this policy?

But the screening form, completed by a nurse at a hospice in Kentville, N.S., indicates 26-year-old Dee did not have any of those infectious diseases. Do you think think since the screening process showed no infectious diseases, the tissue should have been accepted?

The Canadian Blood Services' made a decision last year to remove blood donation eligibility criteria specific to men who have sex with men. The organization updated its screening questions to focus on higher-risk sexual behaviour for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. Do you agree with their decision?