So in this instance, while Australia was a leader initially, it is now falling behind others.” The latest international research shows there is no meaningful risk attached to lifting the current abstinence requirement for blood donation by men, and trans women, who have sex with men, and replacing it with a new policy of screening donors for their individual sexual safety, Dr Dane said. “So the risk is based on your sexual behaviour, rather than the group of people you belong to. Source: SBS However, the nation is now “falling behind”, she said, as other countries including the United Kingdom have moved away from a policy of a “deferral period” in favour of a “more equitable approach, which is that everyone, irrespective of their sexual orientation, their gender or their partner's gender, is asked to do what you call an individual assessment”. “But worse than that, it stigmatises all gay, bi and trans people as a threat to public health.”ĭr Sharon Dane says the latest research shows the blood ban is unnecessary. “The current policy of banning all men and trans women who have sex with men from blood donation is obviously discriminatory because it bans an entire group of people from providing an essential public service. Lifeblood's current "deferral" policy is stigmatising and discriminatory, he said. “Our petition aims to highlight the fact that Australia is ignoring international research and best practice when it comes to a safe and fair blood supply,” Mr Croome said. “The current policy, imposing an abstinence period on gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming Australians who have sex with men, limits the supply of safe blood, and stigmatises gay, bi, trans and non-binary people as a threat to public health,” it reads. Relaxed restrictions on LGBTIQ+ blood donors amid coronavirus pandemic not enough, advocates say The petition calls on the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Service and the Therapeutic Goods Administration "to institute a new donor policy that screens potential donors for their individual risk, not the gender of their sexual partner”. It was just, you know, a relationship between a man and a man, and that's it, done. There was no dialogue … it didn't ask me whether I'd taken part in any risky behaviour or anything like that.
![can gay men donate blood can gay men donate blood](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2017/03/01/12/gettyimages-182574564.jpg)
![can gay men donate blood can gay men donate blood](https://www.statnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AP_322978215877.jpg)
Then I got to the same question which asked me about, you know, sexual practices," he told SBS News. “I was almost pleasantly surprised initially … they've got this really nice eligibility checker that goes through a whole range of questions, it felt more modern and more appropriate. While Mr Buxereau had been blocked from donating blood in the past due to his sexuality, he had decided to check his eligibility again on the Red Cross website in light of the pandemic’s hit to the blood supply, hoping that the rules had changed.
![can gay men donate blood can gay men donate blood](http://nextluxury.com/wp-content/uploads/guy-with-wrench-tattoo-design.jpg)
To his disappointment, he found that as a gay man he would be unable to give blood due to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood service’s policy requiring "men who have sex with men" to abstain from sexual activity for three months before donating.