Sexual activity rules for blood donation to change from April

More Australians will soon become eligible to donate blood under new sexual activity rules confirmed by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood today.

From Monday 20 April, men will no longer be asked in the pre-donation questionnaire if they’ve recently had sex with a man. Instead, all donors will be asked the same sexual activity questions, regardless of gender.

The changes will enable more people to donate blood, including gay and bisexual men and transgender people in long-term monogamous relationships, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.

This change follows the removal of sexual activity rules for plasma donations in July 2025, which has already resulted in an extra 6,437 donations and 2,709 new donors.

Lifeblood CEO Stephen Cornelissen AM said Lifeblood has been working to make donation more inclusive while maintaining the safety of donated blood, which is critical for many patients in Australia.

“It's been fantastic to see so many new donors rolling up their sleeves following the changes to our sexual activity rules for plasma last year,” he said.

“These additional changes to our blood donation eligibility are the next step, and we're really looking forward to welcoming even more new donors to our centres from April.”

Most people in long-term monogamous relationships will be able to donate blood under the updated rules, and many who remain ineligible will be able to donate plasma instead.

Mr Cornelissen said the safety and well-being of patients who receive blood and plasma would always be foremost in Lifeblood's decision-making.

“Evidence shows that we can now safely make this change and our submission approved by Australia's regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), included the latest research, risk modelling and community feedback,” he said.

“Being able to make this change safely and address donation rules that have been very difficult for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community is a significant milestone. 

“We hope this progress continues the journey towards a more inclusive donation experience of which more Australians can commit to.  After all, one in three of us will rely on blood products sometime in our life and at present only 1 in 30 donate.”

Appointments to donate blood under the new gender-neutral rules can be booked from Monday 20 April 2026. More information on the sexual activity rule changes is available here.

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