India, May 16 -- The Supreme Court has rightly underscored the element of discrimination in transgender persons being barred from donating blood while urging the Centre to consult experts on the issue. Trans-persons are categorised as a "high risk" group for transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) such as HIV, and Hepatitis B and C, among others, under the 2017 guidelines governing blood donation. Other high-risk groups are men having sex with men, female sex workers and persons with multiple sexual partners. Their sexual activity is considered to make them particularly prone to blood-borne infections. The import of the apex court's observation that barring the entire demography fosters greater stigmatisation and pushes them further to the margins is hard to miss. There is an umbilical link between such marginalisation and high-risk behaviour. Struggling for survival without mainline livelihood opportunities, transgender persons often get forced into sex work. The need is to address stigmatisation and engender inclusion in the mainstream. Progress has been made over the years, with enabling legislation and changing societal attitudes, but much ground remains to be covered. The apex court has pushed for their inclusion without losing sight of science-based non-negotiables, such as the risk of TTIs. The fact remains that all donated blood is rigorously screened before use in transfusions. Trans inclusion will thus likely be a question of increasing testing capacity - at no great cost, given their small headcount....