Men in a monogamous same-sex relationship will be allowed to donate blood in the Netherlands from September 1, 2021, the Dutch government has announced. For years, gay men in countries around the world have been prevented from being able to donate blood because of the perceived increased risk of them carrying blood-borne infections. Not too long ago, the Netherlands made an exception for men who hadn’t been in a sexual relationship for at least one year – this was reduced to four months in 2019. But, following research conducted by blood bank Sanquin, the government has decided to expand the donor opportunities for men in the Netherlands. Sanguine concluded that the rule change wouldn’t endanger the safety of the blood supply, and will continue to investigate whether homosexual men without a steady partner could also become blood donors in the future.