As reported by the Australian donation service Lifeblood
Australia is taking an important step toward equality by lifting restrictions on plasma donation for gay, bisexual, and transgender women. From now on, gender identity will no longer be a barrier for those wishing to become donors. This information was confirmed by the Australian donation service Lifeblood.
The changes will take effect on July 14. Currently, individuals who identify as gay, bisexual, or transgender women cannot donate blood or plasma if they have had sexual relations with men in the past three months.
Dr. Joe Pink, Chief Medical Officer at Lifeblood, emphasized that the demand for plasma in the country is increasing, and the new rules could attract up to 24,000 new donors annually. This has been made possible through years of research and collaboration with scientists and representatives of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Additionally, Lifeblood is working on implementing a gender-neutral approach to donor assessment. Instead of asking about the partner’s gender, all donors will be asked the same questions about their sexual behavior.
However, full implementation of the new rules will take time, including coordination with state governments to update donor questionnaires. Lifeblood hopes to complete this process next year.
Public health representatives have already expressed support for these changes.
“This is a breakthrough that will open the door to thousands of donations of life-saving plasma urgently needed by Australian hospitals.”
