Representatives for blood donation advocacy campaign Let Us Give have written to Australia’s health ministers regarding proposed questions linked to upcoming changes.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has put forward gender-neutral questions intended to bring Australia in line with other nations and allow gay/bisexual men and transgender women to more readily give whole blood donations.
These gender-neutral assessments are expected to be introduced in 2026, and once implemented, should see all donors being asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality.
Let Us Give researcher, Dr Sharon Dane, said the proposed questions are confusing and not best practice.
“In comparable countries like Canada, the UK and US, all donors are asked if they have had anal sex with new or multiple partners in the last three months, and are asked to delay donation if they answer yes,” Dr Dane said.
“But on top of that question, Lifeblood wants to ask an unnecessary, superfluous and confusing question about whether donors have been monogamous for six months.”
“This question is unnecessary because six months is much longer than necessary for a new HIV infection to show up on tests.”
“The question is also confusing when there is already a three-month monogamy period and it may deter donors who are safe and able to give.”
“We want Lifeblood to ask the simple, straight forward best-practice questions that are asked in Canada, the UK and US.”
Let Us Give spokesperson and long-time advocate, Rodney Croome, highlighted the possibility the proposed six-month-monogamy question replaces one form of discrimination with another.
“We fear the proposed question is a form of indirect discrimination,” Croome said.
“Despite all donors getting the same question regardless of sexuality or gender, the new monogamy barrier will be put in place at the same time as gay, bi and trans people are able to donate.”
“The message will be that Lifeblood still sees gay and bisexual men and trans women as sexual risk takers and our blood as inherently unsafe.”
Croome said new donor rules must be approved by all national, state and territory health ministers.
“We have written to all Australia’s health ministers urging them to ask Lifeblood for the clinical basis for its proposed questions.”
“We have asked Lifeblood a number of times and have not been given a satisfactory answer.”
Let Us Give has welcomed recently introduced changes that allow gay/bi men and transgender women to donate plasma.
Previous donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months.
