Australia is set to lift long-standing restrictions that effectively banned sexually active gay and bisexual men from donating blood and plasma, with the first changes coming into effect from next month. The reforms, approved by the country’s health products regulator, mark a major step toward more inclusive donation practices.
Under the revised rules, Australia will become the first country in the world to eliminate all sexual activity-based restrictions on plasma donation, according to the national blood service Lifeblood. The policy changes are expected to expand the potential donor pool by approximately 625,000 people.
Lifeblood’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jo Pink, hailed the move as a “significant milestone.”
“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… and have contributed to stigma,” she said in a statement.
Previously, men and transgender women who had sex with men in the past three months were barred from donating blood or plasma. Similar restrictions applied to sex workers and women who had sex with bisexual men.
Under the new guidelines, individuals in a monogamous relationship of six months or more, regardless of gender or sexuality, will be eligible to donate blood. Lifeblood will no longer ask men if they have had sex with men in the past three months. Instead, all donors will be asked if they have had anal sex with new or multiple partners; if so, they must wait three months to donate blood but may still donate plasma.
People using HIV prevention medication (PrEP) will now be eligible to donate plasma, though they remain ineligible to donate blood. Only individuals living with HIV or with an HIV-positive partner will be prohibited from donating plasma.
The new plasma donation policy takes effect on 14 July, while changes to blood donation rules are expected to be implemented in 2026.
The changes are supported by research conducted by Lifeblood and the University of New South Wales’ Kirby Institute, which found no impact on the safety of blood and plasma supply. Plasma undergoes a process called pathogen inactivation, which significantly reduces the risk of transmitting infections.
Health Equity Matters CEO Dash Heath-Paynter welcomed the reform, calling it a “much-needed boost” to plasma supply in Australia, where demand is at an all-time high.
