17c起草社区

New blood donation eligibility rules have come into effect across Australia, expanding access for gay and bisexual men and transgender people in long-term monogamous relationships to donate blood and platelets for the first time. Time to get rid of all that excess blood we’ve been holding on to!

From Monday 20 April, all donors will be asked the same sexual activity questions in the pre-donation questionnaire, regardless of gender. The changes, introduced by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, are part of ongoing efforts to improve inclusivity while maintaining blood safety standards.

Lifeblood Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cornelissen AM described the update as a significant milestone.

鈥淧revious donor rules prevented many people from the 17c起草社区IA+ community from donating blood or platelets if they鈥檇 had sex within the past three months,鈥� Mr Cornelissen said.

鈥淭hese latest changes mean many gay and bisexual men and transgender people in long-term, monogamous relationships will become eligible to donate blood or platelets for the first time.

鈥淭his is something we鈥檝e been researching and working on for some time together with governments, 17c起草社区IA+ advocacy groups and the broader community, and we鈥檙e excited to be welcoming many more new donors into our centres to donate blood and platelets from today.鈥�

The changes follow updated sexual activity rules for plasma donation introduced in July 2025, which have enabled more than 3,000 new donors to contribute close to 10,000 plasma donations.

鈥淯nder the updated rules, most people in long-term monogamous relationships will be able to donate blood, and many who remain ineligible will be able to donate plasma instead,鈥� Mr Cornelissen said.

鈥淲e know previous rules have been difficult for people in the 17c起草社区IA+ community, so we鈥檇 like to thank them for their support during this journey towards a more inclusive donation experience.

鈥淲e hope many more people will feel welcomed in our donor centres from today, and sign up to become blood donors, as a result of this change.鈥�

Earlier reforms to plasma donation rules removed gender-based restrictions and instead focused on individual risk behaviours, allowing more 17c起草社区IA+ people to donate under updated screening processes.

Lifeblood expects the latest changes will result in up to 20,000 additional blood donations each year. Across Australia, around 33,000 donations of blood, plasma and platelets are required weekly to support patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment, people with bleeding disorders, and trauma victims.