Gay men in England will be allowed to donate blood three months after having sex instead of a year, under equality reforms announced by the government yesterday.

Fears over infections being passed on through donations from gay men led to an outright ban at the height of the Aids epidemic but that was cut to 12 months in 2011. Medical advances mean the time limit will be reduced again under plans for the NHS in England.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said the government was building on the progress made on tackling prejudice in the 50 years since the partial decriminalization of homosexuality.

“This government is committed to building an inclusive society that works for everyone, no matter what their gender or sexuality and today we’re taking the next step forward,” she said. “We will build on the significant progress we have made over the past 50 years, tackling some of the historic prejudices that still persist in our laws and giving LGBT people a real say on the issues affecting them.”

In 2015 the United States changed its lifetime ban on gay men donating blood to the  1 year ban well behind that of the UK and and other parts of Europe.