Canada Gov. Urged to Lift Ban on Gay Blood

The Canadian Blood Service is urging the Canadian government to ease restrictions so that gay and bisexual men can donate blood.

Like in the United States, men who have had sex with another man since 1977 cannot donate blood. However, the agency is funding a $500,000 grant to research ways to lift the ban, according to United Press International.

"A lifetime ban extending by one year every year is just not sustainable," CBS's Lorna Tessier said in the report. "There have been lots of changes in the environment, lots of changes in testing (and) lots of changes on the international front."

Last year, the Ontario Superior Court ruled that giving blood is not a constitutional right. The court also said that the federal provisions were valid because gay and bisexual men tend to become infected with HIV at a higher rate than the overall population.