Activists who have campaigned for significant changes to Australia’s policy on donating blood are questioning why the proposed updates are not in line with blood donation rules in other countries.
The Let Us Give campaign has written to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) voicing its support for Lifeblood’s proposal to remove the current gay blood ban, but has expressed concern about what it describes as a sting in the tail of Lifeblood’s proposal.
Lifeblood is understood to be seeking the support of the TGA for lifting the ban on whole blood from men and trans women who have sex with men (MTWSM).
Instead, all donors, regardless of gender, will be asked if they have had anal sex with new and multiple partners and deferred from blood donation if they say “yes”.
Let Us Give has been Australia’s lead organisation advocating for this new position but it is concerned that under Lifeblood’s proposal those who are deferred after answering “yes” to the new question will have to wait for six months to donate, not the current three.
Let Us Give researcher, Dr Sharon Dane said while reform was welcomed the reasoning behind the proposed timeframes was missing.
“We understand Lifeblood has lodged, or soon will lodge, a submission with the TGA asking for the current ban on whole blood donation by men and trans women who have sex with men to be lifted.”
“We welcome this because it is a reform we have advocated in favour of for many years.”
“However, we are concerned about Lifeblood’s proposal that people having anal sex with new or multiple partners will have to have to be sexually abstinent for six months to donate rather than the current three.”
“Lifeblood has provided no evidence for why this deferral period needs to be increased.”
“Empirical studies and the subsequent policies of the UK, Canada and the US, show that three months is more than long enough to ensure a would-be donor is safe to donate and not pose a risk to the blood supply.”
“This proposal feels like it is based in moralism, not medicine.” Dr Dane said.
Let Us Give spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said that the proposed 6-month deferral is a form of indirect discrimination.
“Lifeblood is proposing to replace a policy that directly discriminates with one that on the face of it applies equally to all donors, but that still indirectly discriminates against men and trans women who have sex with men because of the higher proportion of anal sex in that population.”
“For gay men like me, this is reminiscent of how in the 1970s and 80s, criminal laws against all gay sex were replaced by higher ages of consent, reinforcing rather than relieving stigma against us.”
“The 6-month deferral is a medically unnecessary sting in the tail of an otherwise important and long-overdue reform.”
Let Us Give has asked to brief the TGA on its support for lifting the current ban and its concerns about the new 6-month deferral.
OUTinPerth contacted Lifeblood who declined to comment.
