Overview

• From July 14, Lifeblood will scrap its three-month deferral for gay and bisexual men, transgender women and sex workers who have had male-to-male sexual contact, allowing immediate plasma donations.
• The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved gender-neutral screening questions for blood and platelet donors, with rollout of uniform sexual-activity criteria scheduled for 2026.
• People taking HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis will be eligible to donate plasma under the new rules but will remain deferred from blood donations.
• Kirby Institute research projects that around 626,500 people will gain plasma donation eligibility, boosting the donor pool by an estimated 24,000 individuals annually.
• Extensive research and modelling underpin the policy shift and aim to reduce stigma in the LGBTQIA+ community without compromising the safety of the plasma supply.