Certain blood donation restrictions for some sexually active LGBTQ+ people will be lifted next month, after the national medicine regulator approved relaxed guidelines.
Lifeblood will scrap most three-month sexual activity wait times for donating plasma, including those taking HIV-prevention medication.
It’s estimated to impact 600,000 people in Australia.
Lifeblood also said questionnaires about a donor’s sexual activity are set to become “more inclusive” in 2026.
Donating blood
There are three types of blood donation.
Whole blood donations – a transfusion that includes all components of blood: plasma, platelets, red and white blood cells.
Plasma – fluid that makes up half of blood’s composition. While giving blood, the plasma is separated and the rest of the blood is returned to the body.
Platelets – small cells that form clots and stop bleeding, transfused in a similar way to plasma.
Limitations
Anyone aged 18-75 who hasn’t been sick and weighs more than 50kg is eligible to give blood.
There are limits in place to reduce the risk of spreading blood-based viruses or infections, including HIV.
For instance, people who’ve had leukaemia (a type of blood cancer) can’t donate. Anyone who has injected non-prescription drugs needs to wait five years.
Travel to certain countries, including Thailand, results in a waiting period before blood donation.
Sexual activity
Current rules also restrict some sexually active people from donating blood. These impact:
- Men who have sex with other men
- Anyone using the HIV prevention medicine PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
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- Men and women sex workers
- Transgender women who have sex with men
The wait time is three months after the last sexual encounter, including for gay men who are in monogamous relationships.
Changes
From 14 July, most sexually active LBGTQ+ people will be able to give plasma donations without a three-month wait time, as long as they meet other eligibility criteria.
Lifeblood said it conducted “extensive research and modelling” showing opening up the eligibility criteria wouldn’t impact the safety of plasma donations.
Plasma undergoes screening known as “pathogen inactivation” to detect infections.
Plasma donations, which Lifeblood described as the “golden” part of blood, have soared in demand across hospitals.
Lifeblood’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Jo Pink said it’s likely to impact 600,000 people who are currently required to wait, saying the rules have “contributed to the stigma” of the LGBTQ+ community.
“We now anticipate an extra 24,000 donors and 95,000 extra donations of plasma to be made each year,” Dr Pink said.
Blood donations
On top of this, there are also changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility.
Now, most people in a relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be able to donate blood (including men who have sex with men).
There are also changes to the questionnaires.
Under the new rules, everyone will be asked the same questions, regardless of gender or sexuality. This means men will no longer be asked if they’ve had sex with another man.
Instead, everyone will be asked if they have had anal sex in the last three months with new or multiple partners.
Lifeblood says more steps need to be taken before this change is confirmed, but it is expected to be implemented next year.
