Ban to be lifted on gay and bisexual men giving blood
Gay and bisexual men as well as transgender women will soon be able to donate blood and plasma after rule changes to make the service more inclusive.
Lifeblood, Australia's national blood, milk and microbiota donation and manufacturing service, has announced changes to sexual activity rules for blood and plasma donation.
From July 14 the service will remove most sexual activity wait times for plasma donations.
Previously the rules stopped gay and bisexual men and transgender women from donating plasma if they had sex with men in the previous three months.
This was designed to stop people who were at a higher risk of exposure to HIV from donating and included sex workers and women who had sex with bisexual men.
The announcement is a world-leading "plasma pathway" which will allow most people - including gay and bisexual men and anyone who takes PrEP - to donate plasma without a wait period if they meet all other eligibility criteria.
Plasma is the donation type most needed by Australian patients, Lifeblood chief medical officer Jo Pink said.
"With more than 600,0000 people estimated to be covered by the previous wait times, we now anticipate an extra 24,000 donors and 95,000 extra donations of plasma to be made each year," she said.
The service is also working on changes to eligibility for blood and platelet donations after the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules.
Under those changes, all donors will be asked the same questions about their sexual activity, regardless of their gender or sexuality.
Most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood.
Additionally, most people with new or multiple partners will also be able to donate blood if they have not had anal sex in the last three months.
This will bring an end to male donors being asked if they've had sex with another man.
"This is a significant milestone in being able to safely reduce wait times and make it easier for more people in the LGBTQIA+ community to donate," Dr Pink said.
"Blood safety is and always will be our top priority, but we know the current donation rules have been very difficult for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
"While they were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know that they've contributed to the stigma faced by the community."
The changes mean Australia's regulations are world-leading and would unlock thousands of life-saving donations, Health Equity Matter chief executive Dash Heath-Paynter said.
"Members of the LGBQTIA+ community members can now help those whose lives depend on plasma donations, without a donation deferral period," he said.
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