A change for life: new blood donation rules expand eligibility for gay and bisexual men

New blood donation eligibility rules take effect in Australia today, safely paving the way for gay and bisexual men and transgender people in long-term monogamous relationships to donate blood and platelets.

From Monday 20 April, all donors will be asked the same sexual activity questions in the pre-donation questionnaire, regardless of gender.  

The change is part of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s ongoing work to make donation more inclusive while maintaining the safety of donated blood. 

It follows changes to sexual activity rules for plasma donation in July 2025, which has enabled 3000 new donors to give close to 10,000 plasma donations to date. 

Lifeblood Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cornelissen AM said this was an important milestone for blood donation in Australia.
“Previous donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ community from donating blood or platelets if they’d had sex within the past three months,” Mr Cornelissen said.

“These 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.

“This is something we’ve been researching and working on for some time together with governments, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and the broader community, and we’re excited to be welcoming many more new donors into our centres to donate blood and platelets from today.”

Mr Cornelissen said patient safety would always be Lifeblood’s top priority, and some people will still need to wait to donate blood.
“Under 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.

“We know previous rules have been difficult for people in the LGBTQIA+ community, so we’d like to thank them for their support during this journey towards a more inclusive donation experience. 

“We 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.”

Lifeblood’s submission to change sexual activity eligibility rules for blood donation was approved by Australia's regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in 2025, and included the latest research, risk modelling and community feedback.
It’s expected up to 20,000 extra donations of blood will be made each year as part of this change.

Every week 33,000 donations of blood plasma and platelets are needed across Australia to help those undergoing cancer treatment, people with bleeding disorders, trauma and accident victims and many more.

To donate blood, visit www.lifeblood.com.au or call 13 14 95.