title: [Contributions of the Council of Europe's Blood Transfusion Steering Committee to the determination of rules for the selection of donors of blood and blood components and the study of sexual behaviors having an impact on blood safety].
abstract: In November 2009, the Council of Europe's Blood Transfusion Steering Committee created a group of experts to explore the problem of behaviors having an impact on the management of donors of blood and blood components and on blood transfusion safety in Europe. This ad hoc group sought a harmonised interpretation of temporary exclusion (or temporary deferral), as opposed to permanent exclusion (or permanent deferral), in the context of the selection of donors of blood and blood components. It was also given the mandate to assess, on the basis of available data, the possibility of differentiating "at risk" behaviours from behaviours "at high risk" of contamination by serious infectious diseases transmitted by blood, blood components or derived therapeutic products. The primary objective of this work was to ensure the safety of blood, blood components and derived therapeutic products for future recipients by promoting a risk analysis-based approach, given that some countries envisaged amending their provisions for donor selection. However, a risk analysis can only be performed on groups, not individuals, which may give the impression of a discriminatory approach, so it needed to be justified in the context of transfusion safety. A collaborative project, which included an investigation phase, led to the drafting of a technical memorandum that summarised the data collected in ten Council of Europe member states on the selection criteria for blood donors and the epidemiology of infectious diseases (with a focus on human immunodeficiency virus) in the general population and among blood donors. The technical memorandum was published in 2011 on the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare website dedicated to this project. A draft resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was then developed by the Council of Europe's Blood Transfusion Steering Committee. This text was circulated among member and observer states of the Council of Europe for review and comments.
authors.affiliation: CS30026, direction européenne de la qualité du médicament et des soins de santé (DEQM), Conseil de l'Europe, 7, allée Kastner, 67081 Strasbourg, France. marie-emmanuelle.behr-gross@edqm.eu
authors.forename: M-E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Behr-Gross
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heiden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Norda
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058731:Blood Safety; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005062:European Union; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D064826:Transfusion Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D047568:Unsafe Sex
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products