Australia eases blood donation restrictions for some LGBTQ+ citizens
"We're now able to now safely make changes that will enable gay and bisexual men and transgender people to donate blood and platelets," announced Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone
By Aaron Sugg
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has announced that, from today (20 April), gay and bisexual men, and transgender people in monogamous relationships, will be able to donate blood.
This means previous policies have been overturned, and all blood donors in Australia will now be asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
The update follows approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) last year (2025) to remove gender-based sexual activity rules regarding plasma donors.
“We’re implementing today what we call a gender neutral assessment” – Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone introducing the Australian blood donor policy
Speaking to ABC News, coinciding with the milestone, Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone welcomed the “neutral assessment”.
“We’re now able to now safely make changes that will enable gay and bisexual men and transgender people to donate blood and platelets,” said Stone.
“We’re implementing today what we call a gender neutral assessment… everybody will be asked the same questions… related to their eligibility to donate blood.”
“This change has been a long time in the making” – Stone on the history of LGBTQ+ blood donors in Australia
“This change has been a long time in the making,” she added. The updated policy marks a monumental moment for LGBTQ+ people across the country, following a time when gay and bisexual men were bared from donating.
In the 1980s, during the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS, rules were introduced to reduce the risk of HIV, stopping most gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
As the official Australian Red Cross Lifeblood website states, these were later reduced to a 12-month wait in 2000, then three months in 2021.
Can you donate plasma in Australia if on PrEP?
As mentioned previously, in 2025, the restriction was removed for plasma donation, becoming the first country to allow gay, bisexual and trans people to do so.
Since the policy change, Lifeblood says it has welcomed 3,000 new donors to give almost 10,000 plasma donations since July last year.
People living HIV and those with an HIV-positive partner are still excluded from donating plasma in Australia, though those on PrEP have become eligible.
Who is eligible to donate blood in Australia?
The exception to donating blood, however, comes to those who have had anal sex with someone aside from their regular partner over the past six months – resulting in a longer wait time.
For more information on how to donate blood in Australia, visit the official Australian Red Cross Lifeblood website.