Latest news with #StephenCornelissen
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Thousands from LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma
Thousands of members of the LGBTQI+ and sex worker communities can now donate plasma in Australia without having to wait three months from the last time they had sex. On Monday, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most wait time restrictions for gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and those on the common HIV prevention drug pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). This change means an estimated 625,000 additional Australians are now eligible to donate plasma. Often referred to as the "liquid gold" part of blood, plasma is used to treat more than 50 medical conditions. During the HIV crisis in the 1980s, Australia introduced an indefinite ban on men who have sex with men from donating blood and plasma in order to prevent transmission through blood transfusion. Skye McGregor from the Kirby Institute said this was in part due to the lengthy time it took to confirm if HIV was present in test results. "To have no deferral now around sexual activity through the plasma pathway is really significant," Dr McGregor said. Other factors such as a 33 per cent drop in HIV diagnoses since 2014, and increased sensitivity of HIV tests — which can detect an infection within a week — have also contributed to the lifting of restrictions. "Whilst these changes were necessary in the past to ensure that blood safety, we also know that they did contribute to stigma within particularly the gay and bisexual community," Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said. From July 14, people in these previously restricted groups can donate plasma immediately, regardless of sexual activity. The only exception is for those who've recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus. "It's a beautiful moment," Joshua Smith said, who donated for the first time on Monday. "Blood and plasma donations was one of the last things it felt like gay and bisexual people and trans communities were excluded from. Fellow donor Kane Wheatley added: "It's one of those things that you spend your whole life thinking this is just not going to get across the line, and when it does it feels really nice to be able to be here to support it, normalise it for people as well." Lifeblood estimates an additional 625,000 Australians may now be eligible to donate plasma. It is hoping for 24,000 new donors and 95,000 additional donations a year. The next step is for gay, bisexual and other members of the LGBTQI+ community to be able to donate what's known as "whole blood", not just plasma. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently approved a gender-neutral risk assessment for blood and platelet donations, which is the first step in the process. This means everyone — regardless of gender or sexual orientation — will be asked if they have had sex (excluding oral sex) with a new or more than one partner in the past six months. If they answer yes, they will be asked whether this included having anal sex in the past three months. Anyone who answers yes will be deferred from donating blood for six months, but will be able to donate plasma. This means gay and bisexual men in long-term, monogamous relationships will be able to donate whole blood without abstaining from sex. This change will be implemented sometime next year, Adjunct Professor Cornelissen said. Let Us Give, a campaign to ensure equality when it comes to blood donation, welcomed the change to giving plasma but said the whole blood rules remain "discriminatory" as they stand currently. Spokesperson Rodney Croome said policy should centre on "the safety of a donor's sexual activity rather than the gender of their sexual partner". He said an approach change like this would "open up a new source of safe blood for those in need and remove discrimination from Australia's blood collection system". Those who have recently had sex with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus will still be unable to donate blood or plasma. There are also restrictions that prevent people taking some medications, those who have medical conditions such as MS or cancer, people who are pregnant or less than nine months postpartum, and those who have recently undergone surgery from making donations. The rule preventing people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 from donating in Australia was lifted in July 2022.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Life-saving plasma donations to expand under national rule changes
Sexual activity rules that have prohibited thousands of Australians from donating blood have been lifted, smashing long-held stigmas and increasing much-needed plasma supplies. Ever since the AIDS crisis exploded into the public consciousness in the early 1980s, the Australian Red Cross has prevented gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) from donating blood. Decades later, the Red Cross Lifeblood Service reports 'some 625,000 Australians' will become eligible to donate plasma after the lifting of these rules. Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen AM said the service was 'looking forward' to welcoming new donors into the fold. 'Importantly, today's (Monday's) change will allow those on PREP to become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period,' he said. 'Over the next 12 months, we estimate an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma, but we know people have been eagerly awaiting these changes and hope to far exceed these numbers.' Professor Cornelissen also took time to acknowledge the stigma that has accompanied blood donor ineligibility. 'While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their lifesaving plasma,' he said. Throughout the '80s and '90s, AIDS became highly stigmatised, and high-profile media campaigns such as the infamous 'Grim Reaper' AIDS campaign had detrimental impacts on the already marginalised LGBTQIA+ community – a residual trauma that many still vividly recall. On Monday, several gay men donated their plasma at the Lifeblood clinic in Sydney – some for the first time and others for the first time since they became ineligible in their youth. For Kane Wheatley, 44, a schoolteacher from Sydney's inner west, donating plasma always seemed just out of reach. 'I spent my whole life thinking that I couldn't get married – and then I was able to get married … and so donating blood or plasma … I thought it was never going to be an option – we were just never going to get there,' Mr Wheatley said. 'Today it just feels really great to be able to get across the line. To be one of the first people to do this and help normalise it and show people that we can do this … it's really flattering. 'I feel really honoured and really special to be able to do it.' Matt Higgs, 31, said he was a regular donor in his youth, but his sexuality eventually rendered him 'ineligible' – an experience that he called 'pretty common'. 'My partner is the same, he has a scar on his arm because he used to donate so regularly,' Mr Higgs said. 'I was healthy, but because I was in a relationship with a man, I couldn't donate.' Mr Higgs acknowledged the history of his ineligibility but said change was well overdue. '(Preventing gay men from donating blood) was a response that was maybe warranted at the time, but we've moved so far beyond the time of where that decision was made and so it's huge (for destigmatisation) for sure,' he said. 'It's a great feeling to be able to come back and give back … I know plenty of people that have needed blood products in their life and to be able to contribute to that is really cool.' Plasma is an essential component of more than a dozen medical treatments for illnesses like chickenpox, brain disorders, tetanus, measles, liver disease and haemophilia.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
World-first move for gay blood donors
Sexual activity rules that have prohibited thousands of Australians from donating blood have been lifted, smashing long-held stigmas and increasing much-needed plasma supplies. Ever since the AIDS crisis exploded into the public consciousness in the early 1980s, the Australian Red Cross has prevented gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers and people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) from donating blood. Decades later, the Red Cross Lifeblood Service reports 'some 625,000 Australians' will become eligible to donate plasma after the lifting of these rules. Australia will become the first country to remove sexual activity wait times for plasma donation and allow those on PREP to donate. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen AM said the service was 'looking forward' to welcoming new donors into the fold. 'Importantly, today's (Monday's) change will allow those on PREP to become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period,' he said. 'Over the next 12 months, we estimate an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma, but we know people have been eagerly awaiting these changes and hope to far exceed these numbers.' Professor Cornelissen also took time to acknowledge the stigma that has accompanied blood donor ineligibility. 'While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their lifesaving plasma,' he said. Lifeblood chief executive Stephen Cornelissen estimates that an extra 24,000 people will donate plasma in the next year. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Throughout the '80s and '90s, AIDS became highly stigmatised, and high-profile media campaigns such as the infamous 'Grim Reaper' AIDS campaign had detrimental impacts on the already marginalised LGBTQIA+ community – a residual trauma that many still vividly recall. On Monday, several gay men donated their plasma at the Lifeblood clinic in Sydney – some for the first time and others for the first time since they became ineligible in their youth. For Kane Wheatley, 44, a schoolteacher from Sydney's inner west, donating plasma always seemed just out of reach. 'I spent my whole life thinking that I couldn't get married – and then I was able to get married … and so donating blood or plasma … I thought it was never going to be an option – we were just never going to get there,' Mr Wheatley said. Schoolteacher Kane Wheatley said donating blood was a 'privilege'. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'Today it just feels really great to be able to get across the line. To be one of the first people to do this and help normalise it and show people that we can do this … it's really flattering. 'I feel really honoured and really special to be able to do it.' Matt Higgs, 31, said he was a regular donor in his youth, but his sexuality eventually rendered him 'ineligible' – an experience that he called 'pretty common'. 'My partner is the same, he has a scar on his arm because he used to donate so regularly,' Mr Higgs said. Mat Higgs donated blood in his youth but stopped for a long time due to the perceived risks his sexuality posed. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'I was healthy, but because I was in a relationship with a man, I couldn't donate.' Mr Higgs acknowledged the history of his ineligibility but said change was well overdue. '(Preventing gay men from donating blood) was a response that was maybe warranted at the time, but we've moved so far beyond the time of where that decision was made and so it's huge (for destigmatisation) for sure,' he said. 'It's a great feeling to be able to come back and give back … I know plenty of people that have needed blood products in their life and to be able to contribute to that is really cool.' Plasma is an essential component of more than a dozen medical treatments for illnesses like chickenpox, brain disorders, tetanus, measles, liver disease and haemophilia.
