Ottawa - The Canadian Blood Donation Agency will work to lift the lifetime ban on sex workers wishing to donate blood in another step to make blood donation more fair.

The Blood Donation Agency recommended this month that the Canadian Ministry of Health lift the lifetime ban on donors who took money or drugs in exchange for sex.

This ban, which was imposed 45 years ago, is set to be replaced by a "one-year deferral" after working in sex work.

This step comes a month after the end of the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood, which was welcomed by members of parliament and LGBTQ+ advocates.

The Canadian Blood Donation Agency said it is prepared to recommend that the Canadian Ministry of Health reduce the time sex workers must wait before donating blood to less than a year, but they want to make gradual changes.

The period during which gay men were banned from donating blood was gradually shortened before being completely lifted last month.

Spokesperson for Canadian Blood Services, Catherine Lewis, said that she requested that the Canadian Ministry of Health end the ongoing lifetime ban on sex workers donating blood, after conducting research to ensure that the recommendation would keep the blood supply safe.

She said the review was part of a campaign to ensure that blood donation policies are more inclusive and fair.

"Right now we are looking at one year but we will continue to consider it in the future."

The current lifetime ban on sex workers donating blood also includes people who have had sex with a sex worker or exchanged money or drugs for sex. This policy is also under review now.

The Liberals promised to lift the ban on gay men donating blood during the 2015 election campaign. But it took years and 5 million dollars of safety research before it was recommended to the Canadian Ministry of Health.

The Canadian Blood Agency, which runs the blood donation program, indicated that it is confident that lifting the ban on sex workers donating blood can begin by fall if the Canadian Ministry of Health agrees.

By the end of September, all potential donors will be asked whether they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

The Blood Agency believes that asking about sexual behavior will allow it to conduct a more reliable assessment of the risk of infections like HIV that can be transmitted through blood transfusions. The donor's blood will be tested before being given to patients.

Editing: Dima Abu Khair