Previously, many gay and bisexual men and transgender people were barred from donating if they had been sexually active in the past three months, even within monogamous relationships. The policy dated back to restrictions introduced during the HIV crisis of the 1980s. Under the updated guidelines from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, all donors are now asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
The change allows queer men and transgender individuals in long-term monogamous relationships to donate blood, provided they meet standard requirements such as age and iron levels. Lifeblood CEO Stephen Cornelissen said, “This is something we’ve been researching and working on for some time together with governments, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and the broader community. We’re excited to be welcoming many more new donors into our centres to donate blood and platelets from today.”
The update could bring up to 20,000 new donors. Plasma donation rules were also eased last year, resulting in 10,000 donations from about 3,000 new donors.
