Fact Check: Australia Becomes First Country to Lift All Sexual Activity-Based Blood Donation Bans
What We Know
Australia is set to implement significant changes to its blood donation policies, particularly affecting gay and bisexual men. Starting July 14, 2025, the Australian Red Cross’ blood donation service, Lifeblood, will lift sexual activity-based restrictions for plasma donations. This policy change will allow most individuals, including gay and bisexual men, to donate plasma regardless of their sexual activity, with some exceptions for those who have had recent sexual contact with a partner known to have HIV or another blood-borne virus (source-1).
Additionally, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved a gender-neutral risk assessment for whole blood donations. Under this new system, all donors will be screened based on their recent sexual activity, but those in long-term, monogamous relationships will no longer need to abstain from sex for three months to donate whole blood. Instead, they will be deferred for six months only if they have had anal sex with multiple or new partners (source-1).
Historically, Australia had imposed strict bans on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) since the 1980s due to the HIV crisis. These restrictions have gradually been relaxed over the years, moving from indefinite bans to a 12-month deferral in 2000, then to three months in 2021 (source-1).
Analysis
The claim that Australia is the first country to lift all sexual activity-based blood donation bans is partially true. While it is accurate that Australia will remove these restrictions for plasma donations, the rules for whole blood donations still include a six-month deferral period for certain sexual activities. This means that while the plasma pathway is groundbreaking, the overall blood donation policy still retains some restrictions based on sexual activity, particularly for whole blood donations (source-1; source-5).
The credibility of the sources is strong, as they include reputable news outlets like the BBC and the Australian Red Cross, which are known for their journalistic integrity and expertise in health-related matters (source-5; source-7). However, it is essential to note that while the new policies are progressive, they do not fully eliminate all restrictions, which is a critical aspect of the claim.
Conclusion
The verdict on the claim that "Australia becomes the first country to lift all sexual activity-based blood donation bans" is Partially True. While Australia is indeed pioneering changes that significantly reduce restrictions for plasma donations, it still maintains a six-month deferral period for whole blood donations based on sexual activity. Thus, the claim is not entirely accurate as it overlooks the existing restrictions that remain in place.
