Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says men who have sex with men will be able to give blood after a deferral period of three months, down from a year. Petitpas Taylor says the decision was made at the request of Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec, adding it is a significant step towards eliminating the deferral period all together. Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault, the special adviser to the prime minister on LGBTQ2 issues, called the reduced deferral period a “big win,” adding the government has spent $3.5 million on scientific research to justify the reduction.