Should Atralia end rtrictns on gay and bisexual men donatg blood? | Health | The Guardian

Contents:

• NEW ATRALIAN BLOOD DONATN L FOR GAY MEN DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH, ADVOT SAY
• SHOULD ATRALIA END RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD?
• WORLD-FIRST MOVE TO LIFT GAY, BISEXUAL BAN ON BLOOD PLASMA DONATN
• IT’S 2020 AND MOST GAY MEN STILL N’T DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA
• JOE WANTS TO DONATE BLOOD. HE N'T BEE OF HIS SEXUALYCANADA, FRANCE, GREECE, LHUANIA AND ATRIA HAVE ALL REMOVED RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD THIS YEAR. ON WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY THERE ARE RENEWED LLS FOR ATRALIA TO DO THE SAME.JOE STANISZEWSKI HAS SEEN FIRST-HAND HOW IMPORTANT BLOOD DONATN N BE. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / AARON FERNANSJOE STANISZEWSKI IS STG ON HIS UCH, DOGS CURLED UP NEXT TO HIM, WH SADNS HIS EY. HAVG WORKED AS A REGISTERED NURSE, HE KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD AND THE LIFE-SAVG ABILY HAS."I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE BLOOD," THE 28-YEAR-OLD OM PERTH SAYS. BUT HE KNOWS HE N'T. MR STANISZEWSKI INTIFI AS QUEER, AND SPE BEG A MONOGAMO RELATNSHIP AND PRACTISG SAFE SEX, HE'S NOT ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD.ATRALIA IS ONE OF A CLG NUMBER OF UNTRI ACROSS THE WORLD THAT PLAC RTRICTNS ON MEN WHO WANT TO DONATE BLOOD IF THEY HAVE SEX WH OTHER MEN, BASED ON A PERCEIVED RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSN. READ MOREWHY LGBTIQ+ ADVOT WANT ATRALIA'S 'GAY BLOOD BAN' TO ENDRTRICTNS WERE TRODUCED THE 1980S WHEN HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSN WAS AT S HIGHT, AND TODAY THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS' LIFEBLOOD ANISATN STILL CLASSIFI "ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN, EVEN ‘SAFER SEX’ G A NDOM" THE LAST THREE MONTHS AS "AT RISK SEXUAL ACTIVY". THAT'S SPE HIV RAT CLG OVER THE PAST .“IT TRAT ME THAT A BLANKET APPROACH HAS BEEN PUT ON,” SAYS EVENT ORDATOR FOR THE PERTH GAY SOCIAL CLUB IAN ODLUM.“PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE VERY SAFE AND TAKE OUR SEXUAL HEALTH VERY SERLY WOULD BE WILLG TO GIVE BLOOD, BUT BEE THAT BLANKET LE IS THERE, I’M NOT ABLE TO.”“A HETEROSEXUAL MAN THAT DON’T PRACTISE SAFE SEX ULD BE MORE OF A RISK THAN A SAME-SEX MAN WHO PRACTIC SAFE SEX. IT'S DISCRIMATORY,” MR STANISZEWSKI SAYS.THERE ARE ALSO OTHER ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA.RTRICTNS EASG AROUND THE WORLDAMID THE COVID-19 PANMIC AND NATURAL DISASTERS CLUDG THE NSW AND QUEENSLAND FLOODS, MAND FOR LOL BLOOD DONORS REMAS HIGH.THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS SAYS MORE THAN 1.6 LN DONATNS ARE NEED EVERY YEAR, AND WHILE THERE ARE AROUND 500,000 ACTIVE DONORS THE UNTRY, THE NEED FOR BLOOD IS NSTANT. NEW DONORS ARE ALWAYS NEED.IT'S THE SAME STORY GLOBALLY, AND RECENT YEARS SEVERAL UNTRI HAVE MA THE CISN TO REPEAL DONOR RTRICTNS IMPACTG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSMS).“IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME G. THE CURRENT APPROACH WAS DISCRIMATORY AND WRONG,” CANADIAN PRIME MISTER JT T SAID APRIL AS CANADA BEME THE 31ST UNTRY TO REMOVE LIMS OR RTRICTNS ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL INTY ON THOSE WANTG TO DONATE.THIS YEAR ALONE, FRANCE, GREECE, LHUANIA AND ATRIA HAVE ALSO REMOVED THEIR RTRICTNS. SOME UNTRI CLUDG GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS HAVE MA THE CISN TO ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE SAFE, MONOGAMO RELATNSHIPS TO EELY DONATE BLOOD WHOUT A FERRAL PERD.HOW DO THE RTRICTNS WORK?ATRALIA IS ONE OF 44 UNTRI THAT IMPOSE RTRICTNS ON MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN. CURRENTLY, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE BLOOD THEY HAVE TO WA AT LEAST THREE MONTHS AFTER HAVG THE SEXUAL NTACT.OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A ‘FERRAL PERD’, ATRALIA IS ONE OF 21 NATNS WORLDWI THAT ENFORC . THE PERDS N RANGE OM THREE MONTHS ATRALIA’S SE, UP TO FIVE YEARS. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / CHARLIE MILLS/CIA WORLD FACTBOOKTHE RTRICTNS ARE ENFORCED BY THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN (TGA) ATRALIA WHICH MATAS THEY ARE PLACE TO “MATA THE SAFETY AND TEGRY OF THE ATRALIAN BLOOD SUPPLY”.THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS, TOO, MATAS THE L ARE PLACE “TO PROTECT BOTH THE DONOR’S HEALTH AND WELLBEG AS WELL AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE BLOOD,” AND NI IS DISCRIMATORY.A SPOKPERSON FOR THE FERAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAID: "THE FERRAL POLICY HAS BEEN PENNTLY ASSSED AS NOT BEG DISCRIMATORY AFTER NSIRATN SEVERAL JUDICIAL AND PARA-JUDICIAL FOMS – CLUDG THE VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNY COMMISSN AND THE TASMANIAN ANTI-DISCRIMATN TRIBUNAL". ATRALIA HAS MA SOME PROGRS S RTRICTNS AFTER LOWERG THE WAG PERD OM 12 TO THREE MONTHS JANUARY 2021.WHAT ARE THE RAT OF HIV ATRALIA?HIV NOTIFITNS REACHED A LOW OF 633 ATRALIA 2020, ACRDG TO THE KIRBY INSTUTE AT THE UNIVERSY OF NSW. THAT’S A CLE OF 37 PER CENT SCE 2016. IN GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, HIV DIAGNOS HAVE CLED BY MORE THAN 44 PER CENT THE SAME PERD.IT’S TIMATED THAT 29,020 PEOPLE, OR 0.1 PER CENT OF THE ATRALIAN POPULATN, ARE LIVG WH HIV, AND 91 PER CENT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THEIR STAT AND ARE RECEIVG TREATMENT. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / CHARLIE MILLS/WIKIPEDIAPL BENSON IS A 44-YEAR-OLD PERTH RINT AND GAY. HE'S NVCED THAT ANY 'RISK' ASSOCIATED WH GAY SEX IS MISNSTED.“I WOULD DONATE BLOOD IF I ULD. THE FACT THAT I'M ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I'M NSTANTLY BOMBARD WH REQUTS OM THE RED CROSS, ASKG FOR BLOOD DONATNS. THERE'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH PEOPLE DOG .”IN TODAY'S WORLD, HE SAYS, THE L RTRICTG HIM MAKE LTLE SENSE.PL BENSON, 44, SAYS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS ARE A "RELIC".POPULATN VERS DIVIDUAL RISKTHERE IS PERHAPS OPPORTUNY FOR CHANGE.ATRALIA CURRENTLY A “POPULATN STATISTIL RISK APPROACH”, WHICH INTIFI RISK FACTORS ACROSS THE POPULATN. BUT SOME UNTRI SUCH AS THE UK AND CANADA HAVE CID TO MOVE TOWARDS AN “DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT” WHICH WOULD INTIFY DONOR ELIGIBILY BASED ON THE SEXUAL ACTIVY OF THE DIVIDUAL, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL INTY.TERRY HEALY IS THE MEMBER FOR SOUTHERN RIVER THE WA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND A CHAMPN OF BLOOD DONATN ATRALIA. IN 2016, THEN AGED 34, HE BEME THE YOUNGT EVER ATRALIAN TO DONATE BLOOD 300 TIM AND VALU THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTARY DONATN.“I UNRSTAND RED CROSS AND THE TGA HAD HAD THE OPTN TO ADOPT AN EVINCE-BASED APPROACH TO BLOOD DONATN OM GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN FOR MANY YEARS,” HE SAYS, “BUT HAVE SO FAR CLED TO TAKE ON THAT EVINCE-BASED APPROACH”.“INSTEAD OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THE GENR OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER, WE SHOULD SCREEN THEM FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR SEXUAL ACTIVY,” HE SAYS.“IT DO NOT MATTER WHETHER A PERSON IS GAY OR STRAIGHT. IF A PERSON ENGAG ACTIVY THAT PUTS THEM AT HIGH RISK, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DONATE. IF A PERSON IS AT LOW RISK, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DONATE.”IN REMOVG S RTRICTNS, THE CANADIAN ERNMENT SPENT SEVEN YEARS AND MORE THAN $5 LN ON REARCH AND SCIENTIFIC EVINCE THAT SHOWED AN DIVIDUAL RISK APPROACH NOT ONLY WOULD ENSURE THE “SAFETY OF THE BLOOD SUPPLY”, BUT ALSO PUT AN END TO “DISCRIMATORY PRACTIC”.MANY, CLUDG MR BENSON, ARE NOW LLG FOR ATRALIA TO DO THE SAME."WE'RE TOLD THAT THE RTRICTNS ATRALIA HAS ARE FOR EVERYBODY'S SAFETY. AND YET, WHEN THE RTRICTNS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ELSEWHERE, THE SKY HASN'T FALLEN ."IN A STATEMENT PROVID TO SBS NEWS, A SPOKPERSON OM THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD PROGRAM SAID: "WE UNRSTAND THE L EXCLU SOME GROUPS OM DOG WHAT OTHERS TAKE FOR GRANTED... WE HEAR THE HURT, TRATN, AND THE ANGER AND WE UNRSTAND THE SIRE TO HELP. WE WANT THAT TOO"."WE KNOW THAT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN CLARED MONOGAMO RELATNSHIPS ARE A LOW RISK, BUT AS A GROUP THEY ARE STILL AT A HIGHER RISK OF EXPOSURE THAN PEOPLE HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS ... THIS [THREE-MONTH] WA TIME IS ALSO APPLIED TO HETEROSEXUAL RISKS, CLUDG SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD SEX WH A NEW PARTNER WHO HAS E OM A UNTRY WHERE HIV IS PREVALENT. IT IS ALSO APPLIED TO PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL TERNATNALLY TO CERTA UNTRI."WE’RE EXPLORG WHETHER MAY BE POSSIBLE TO FURTHER RCE THE THREE-MONTH WAG PERD FOR PLASMA DONATNS."WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY IS MARKED ON 14 JUNE. CHARLIE MILLS IS A JOURNALISM STUNT BASED PERTH. THIS ARTICLE IS AN EXTRACT OM HIS MASTER’S GREE PROJECT AT CURT UNIVERSY.WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WH SBS NEWS? EMAIL SHARE7 M READPUBLISHED 14 JUNE 2022 5:42AMBY CHARLIE MILLSSOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU
• US LIFTS GAY BLOOD BAN, ATRALIA URGED TO FOLLOW
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• MEDIL STUNT AND NURSE CHALLENGE SHOCKG LAW STOPPG HEALTHY GAY MEN ATRALIA OM GIVG BLOOD DONATNS TO SAVE LIV
• ATRALIA MOV TO EASE L ON GAY BLOOD DONORS
• HOW FDA'S FORTHG BLOOD DONOR POLICY CHANGE ULD HELP ADDRS STIGMA ABOUT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• FDA PROPOS ALLOWG GAY AND BISEXUAL MONOGAMO MEN TO DONATE BLOOD

NEW ATRALIAN BLOOD DONATN L FOR GAY MEN DON’T GO FAR ENOUGH, ADVOT SAY

New Atralian blood donatn l for gay men don’t go far enough, advot sayNew l that change the barriers facg gay men who want to donate blood Atralia don’t go far enough, advot blood donatn l for gay men have e to effect on Sunday allowg them to give blood if they have been celibate for three measure has dramatilly slashed that wag perd om 12 months – which effectively banned gay men om donatg – but advot say still discrimat agast many who would wish to year the Atralian Red Cross’s Lifeblood service announced the l would be changed om January 31, 2021, after a review of s sexual activy ferral new le, which also apply to transgenr people who have had sex wh a man, appli to oral and anal sex – wh or whout a Theraptic Goods Admistratn approved Lifeblood’s plan to cut the wag perd, and to also allow homosexual men to donate plasma and platelets. ”Gay men had prevly been banned om donatg durg the height of the AIDS epimic the 1980s, wh those l lgerg for new change me followg a ph for blood donors durg the COVID-19 panmic, wh MPs Alex Greenwich and Dr Time Read volly supportg the move their rpective stat of NSW and Victoria. “The current ernments of both the Uned Stat and the Uned Kgdom are mted to replacg their gay blood bans wh dividual risk asssment, and ‘s time for Atralia to do the same.

SHOULD ATRALIA END RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD?

”The study also showed that among gay men who would donate blood, the prevalence of HIV is lower than the general populatn, Mr Croome said. LGBTQI+ groups have lled for Atralia to change s policy on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men the light of mov other untri to relax July the UK removed s three-month abstence perd for gay and bisexual men donatg blood, and moved to an dividual risk asssment for all donors, regardls of genr or sexual partner.

WORLD-FIRST MOVE TO LIFT GAY, BISEXUAL BAN ON BLOOD PLASMA DONATN

A number of other natns, cludg the Netherlands, Israel, Argenta, France and Germany, have abolished their ban on blood donatns for particular groups sce the panmic began, or plan to do so unr Atralian policy, gay men or trans women who have sex wh men are unable to donate blood if their sexual abstence perd is ls than three months.

IT’S 2020 AND MOST GAY MEN STILL N’T DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA

“Mollg suggts this would actually crease the amount of safe blood available to those need of blood products, ” she ban on gay blood donatns was put place the 1980s when much ls was known about the tectn and transmissn of HIV/ appli to all sexually active gay men, as well as sexually active bisexual men and transgenr women who have sex wh men – cludg those long-term Heiger timated that he donated blood as a teenager more than a dozen tim, before g out as gay. “It rerc negative nnotatns of gay sex and stigmatisg certa groups of men. I fight agast the ia only gay men n ntract HIV.

A major barrier preventg most gay and bisexual men om donatg life-savg blood plasma uld soon be removed as Atralia’s medil regulator nsirs scrappg the sexual activy creria for potential a world first, the Theraptic Goods Admistratn (TGA) is urgently prrisg a submissn om Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood that all qutns relatg to sexual enunters be removed om the plasma donor qutnnaire.

Eligibily creria prohibs anyone at higher risk of exposure to HIV om donatg blood for three months sce their last sexual activy, effectively banng sexually active gay and bisexual men om donatg.

JOE WANTS TO DONATE BLOOD. HE N'T BEE OF HIS SEXUALYCANADA, FRANCE, GREECE, LHUANIA AND ATRIA HAVE ALL REMOVED RTRICTNS ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATG BLOOD THIS YEAR. ON WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY THERE ARE RENEWED LLS FOR ATRALIA TO DO THE SAME.JOE STANISZEWSKI HAS SEEN FIRST-HAND HOW IMPORTANT BLOOD DONATN N BE. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / AARON FERNANSJOE STANISZEWSKI IS STG ON HIS UCH, DOGS CURLED UP NEXT TO HIM, WH SADNS HIS EY. HAVG WORKED AS A REGISTERED NURSE, HE KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD AND THE LIFE-SAVG ABILY HAS."I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE BLOOD," THE 28-YEAR-OLD OM PERTH SAYS. BUT HE KNOWS HE N'T. MR STANISZEWSKI INTIFI AS QUEER, AND SPE BEG A MONOGAMO RELATNSHIP AND PRACTISG SAFE SEX, HE'S NOT ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD.ATRALIA IS ONE OF A CLG NUMBER OF UNTRI ACROSS THE WORLD THAT PLAC RTRICTNS ON MEN WHO WANT TO DONATE BLOOD IF THEY HAVE SEX WH OTHER MEN, BASED ON A PERCEIVED RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSN. READ MOREWHY LGBTIQ+ ADVOT WANT ATRALIA'S 'GAY BLOOD BAN' TO ENDRTRICTNS WERE TRODUCED THE 1980S WHEN HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSN WAS AT S HIGHT, AND TODAY THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS' LIFEBLOOD ANISATN STILL CLASSIFI "ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN, EVEN ‘SAFER SEX’ G A NDOM" THE LAST THREE MONTHS AS "AT RISK SEXUAL ACTIVY". THAT'S SPE HIV RAT CLG OVER THE PAST .“IT TRAT ME THAT A BLANKET APPROACH HAS BEEN PUT ON,” SAYS EVENT ORDATOR FOR THE PERTH GAY SOCIAL CLUB IAN ODLUM.“PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE VERY SAFE AND TAKE OUR SEXUAL HEALTH VERY SERLY WOULD BE WILLG TO GIVE BLOOD, BUT BEE THAT BLANKET LE IS THERE, I’M NOT ABLE TO.”“A HETEROSEXUAL MAN THAT DON’T PRACTISE SAFE SEX ULD BE MORE OF A RISK THAN A SAME-SEX MAN WHO PRACTIC SAFE SEX. IT'S DISCRIMATORY,” MR STANISZEWSKI SAYS.THERE ARE ALSO OTHER ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA.RTRICTNS EASG AROUND THE WORLDAMID THE COVID-19 PANMIC AND NATURAL DISASTERS CLUDG THE NSW AND QUEENSLAND FLOODS, MAND FOR LOL BLOOD DONORS REMAS HIGH.THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS SAYS MORE THAN 1.6 LN DONATNS ARE NEED EVERY YEAR, AND WHILE THERE ARE AROUND 500,000 ACTIVE DONORS THE UNTRY, THE NEED FOR BLOOD IS NSTANT. NEW DONORS ARE ALWAYS NEED.IT'S THE SAME STORY GLOBALLY, AND RECENT YEARS SEVERAL UNTRI HAVE MA THE CISN TO REPEAL DONOR RTRICTNS IMPACTG MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSMS).“IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME G. THE CURRENT APPROACH WAS DISCRIMATORY AND WRONG,” CANADIAN PRIME MISTER JT T SAID APRIL AS CANADA BEME THE 31ST UNTRY TO REMOVE LIMS OR RTRICTNS ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL INTY ON THOSE WANTG TO DONATE.THIS YEAR ALONE, FRANCE, GREECE, LHUANIA AND ATRIA HAVE ALSO REMOVED THEIR RTRICTNS. SOME UNTRI CLUDG GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS HAVE MA THE CISN TO ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE SAFE, MONOGAMO RELATNSHIPS TO EELY DONATE BLOOD WHOUT A FERRAL PERD.HOW DO THE RTRICTNS WORK?ATRALIA IS ONE OF 44 UNTRI THAT IMPOSE RTRICTNS ON MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN. CURRENTLY, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE BLOOD THEY HAVE TO WA AT LEAST THREE MONTHS AFTER HAVG THE SEXUAL NTACT.OFTEN REFERRED TO AS A ‘FERRAL PERD’, ATRALIA IS ONE OF 21 NATNS WORLDWI THAT ENFORC . THE PERDS N RANGE OM THREE MONTHS ATRALIA’S SE, UP TO FIVE YEARS. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / CHARLIE MILLS/CIA WORLD FACTBOOKTHE RTRICTNS ARE ENFORCED BY THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN (TGA) ATRALIA WHICH MATAS THEY ARE PLACE TO “MATA THE SAFETY AND TEGRY OF THE ATRALIAN BLOOD SUPPLY”.THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS, TOO, MATAS THE L ARE PLACE “TO PROTECT BOTH THE DONOR’S HEALTH AND WELLBEG AS WELL AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE BLOOD,” AND NI IS DISCRIMATORY.A SPOKPERSON FOR THE FERAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAID: "THE FERRAL POLICY HAS BEEN PENNTLY ASSSED AS NOT BEG DISCRIMATORY AFTER NSIRATN SEVERAL JUDICIAL AND PARA-JUDICIAL FOMS – CLUDG THE VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNY COMMISSN AND THE TASMANIAN ANTI-DISCRIMATN TRIBUNAL". ATRALIA HAS MA SOME PROGRS S RTRICTNS AFTER LOWERG THE WAG PERD OM 12 TO THREE MONTHS JANUARY 2021.WHAT ARE THE RAT OF HIV ATRALIA?HIV NOTIFITNS REACHED A LOW OF 633 ATRALIA 2020, ACRDG TO THE KIRBY INSTUTE AT THE UNIVERSY OF NSW. THAT’S A CLE OF 37 PER CENT SCE 2016. IN GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, HIV DIAGNOS HAVE CLED BY MORE THAN 44 PER CENT THE SAME PERD.IT’S TIMATED THAT 29,020 PEOPLE, OR 0.1 PER CENT OF THE ATRALIAN POPULATN, ARE LIVG WH HIV, AND 91 PER CENT OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THEIR STAT AND ARE RECEIVG TREATMENT. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / CHARLIE MILLS/WIKIPEDIAPL BENSON IS A 44-YEAR-OLD PERTH RINT AND GAY. HE'S NVCED THAT ANY 'RISK' ASSOCIATED WH GAY SEX IS MISNSTED.“I WOULD DONATE BLOOD IF I ULD. THE FACT THAT I'M ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I'M NSTANTLY BOMBARD WH REQUTS OM THE RED CROSS, ASKG FOR BLOOD DONATNS. THERE'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH PEOPLE DOG .”IN TODAY'S WORLD, HE SAYS, THE L RTRICTG HIM MAKE LTLE SENSE.PL BENSON, 44, SAYS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS ARE A "RELIC".POPULATN VERS DIVIDUAL RISKTHERE IS PERHAPS OPPORTUNY FOR CHANGE.ATRALIA CURRENTLY A “POPULATN STATISTIL RISK APPROACH”, WHICH INTIFI RISK FACTORS ACROSS THE POPULATN. BUT SOME UNTRI SUCH AS THE UK AND CANADA HAVE CID TO MOVE TOWARDS AN “DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT” WHICH WOULD INTIFY DONOR ELIGIBILY BASED ON THE SEXUAL ACTIVY OF THE DIVIDUAL, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL INTY.TERRY HEALY IS THE MEMBER FOR SOUTHERN RIVER THE WA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND A CHAMPN OF BLOOD DONATN ATRALIA. IN 2016, THEN AGED 34, HE BEME THE YOUNGT EVER ATRALIAN TO DONATE BLOOD 300 TIM AND VALU THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTARY DONATN.“I UNRSTAND RED CROSS AND THE TGA HAD HAD THE OPTN TO ADOPT AN EVINCE-BASED APPROACH TO BLOOD DONATN OM GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN FOR MANY YEARS,” HE SAYS, “BUT HAVE SO FAR CLED TO TAKE ON THAT EVINCE-BASED APPROACH”.“INSTEAD OF SCREENG DONORS FOR THE GENR OF THEIR SEXUAL PARTNER, WE SHOULD SCREEN THEM FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR SEXUAL ACTIVY,” HE SAYS.“IT DO NOT MATTER WHETHER A PERSON IS GAY OR STRAIGHT. IF A PERSON ENGAG ACTIVY THAT PUTS THEM AT HIGH RISK, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DONATE. IF A PERSON IS AT LOW RISK, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DONATE.”IN REMOVG S RTRICTNS, THE CANADIAN ERNMENT SPENT SEVEN YEARS AND MORE THAN $5 LN ON REARCH AND SCIENTIFIC EVINCE THAT SHOWED AN DIVIDUAL RISK APPROACH NOT ONLY WOULD ENSURE THE “SAFETY OF THE BLOOD SUPPLY”, BUT ALSO PUT AN END TO “DISCRIMATORY PRACTIC”.MANY, CLUDG MR BENSON, ARE NOW LLG FOR ATRALIA TO DO THE SAME."WE'RE TOLD THAT THE RTRICTNS ATRALIA HAS ARE FOR EVERYBODY'S SAFETY. AND YET, WHEN THE RTRICTNS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ELSEWHERE, THE SKY HASN'T FALLEN ."IN A STATEMENT PROVID TO SBS NEWS, A SPOKPERSON OM THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS LIFEBLOOD PROGRAM SAID: "WE UNRSTAND THE L EXCLU SOME GROUPS OM DOG WHAT OTHERS TAKE FOR GRANTED... WE HEAR THE HURT, TRATN, AND THE ANGER AND WE UNRSTAND THE SIRE TO HELP. WE WANT THAT TOO"."WE KNOW THAT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN CLARED MONOGAMO RELATNSHIPS ARE A LOW RISK, BUT AS A GROUP THEY ARE STILL AT A HIGHER RISK OF EXPOSURE THAN PEOPLE HETEROSEXUAL RELATNSHIPS ... THIS [THREE-MONTH] WA TIME IS ALSO APPLIED TO HETEROSEXUAL RISKS, CLUDG SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD SEX WH A NEW PARTNER WHO HAS E OM A UNTRY WHERE HIV IS PREVALENT. IT IS ALSO APPLIED TO PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL TERNATNALLY TO CERTA UNTRI."WE’RE EXPLORG WHETHER MAY BE POSSIBLE TO FURTHER RCE THE THREE-MONTH WAG PERD FOR PLASMA DONATNS."WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY IS MARKED ON 14 JUNE. CHARLIE MILLS IS A JOURNALISM STUNT BASED PERTH. THIS ARTICLE IS AN EXTRACT OM HIS MASTER’S GREE PROJECT AT CURT UNIVERSY.WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WH SBS NEWS? EMAIL SHARE7 M READPUBLISHED 14 JUNE 2022 5:42AMBY CHARLIE MILLSSOURCE: SBS NEWSTAGSATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHAREREMEND FOR YOU

“This is genuely excg news”: Matthew Mottola, 26, has not been eligible to donate blood sce he was high Eddie JimIf Lifeblood’s applitn – dubbed the “plasma pathway” – is approved, gay and bisexual men, as well as people takg HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), would be able to donate blood plasma whout any wa time regardls of sexual activy as long as they met all other eligibily creria.

Atralia's blood stocks are expected to drop to their lowt pot sce the start of the panmic after donatns took a nosedive due to the current surge flu s across the untry, as well as lds and pots:There have been a large number of blood donatn appotment ncellatns and no-shows, due to the surge flu sAnyone who is reverg om COVID-19 and wants to give blood should wa for seven days of beg symptom-eeBisexual and gay men, as well as trans women who have had sex wh men the last three months, nnot give blood Atralia, but advot are llg for changeThe Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood needs 17, 500 donors to help raise supply over the next week, wh their stocks of A, O, and B blood groups unr anisatn says will have "two days" of supply left by mid week. Bisexual men, gay men, and trans women nnot give blood Atralia if they have had sex wh men the past three months. "The Red Cross Lifeblood Service is lerally beggg people to donate, yet they're sayg to gay men who are safe to donate, 'We don't want you'.

The rat of new HIV fectns amongst gay men is gog down Atralia, whereas the rat of fectn amongst heterosexual people is gog up. "Ben Dudman said, as a gay man, he felt the policy was "archaic" and need urgent reform. (Supplied: Ben Dudman)Canada this year removed the ban on blood donatns om gay men, wh the untry's health partment scribg as "a signifint tone toward a more clive blood donatn system" Mister Jt T said the change was long overdue, sayg the old approach was "discrimatory and wrong" Croome said he would like to see Atralia take a siar approach, wh other untri, cludg the Uned Kgdom and France, also implementg a system that asss the dividual risks of every donor.

US LIFTS GAY BLOOD BAN, ATRALIA URGED TO FOLLOW

A spokperson for Red Cross Lifeblood said they "unrstood the l would exclu some groups", but that although gay and bisexual men clared monogamo relatnships were low risk, they were "still at a higher risk of exposure than people heterosexual relatnships". Did you know most gay men still aren’t allowed to donate blood Atralia?

MasterChef Atralia’s Khanh Ong lls for change legislatn and better screeng practic so he and fellow LGBTQI+ iends n a post shared to his Instagram acunt, the celebry chef and former DJ, shared his tratn that he and his male gay iends are unable to donate blood unls celibate for 12, you read that right, gay men Atralia mt go whout sex for a whole year to be eligible to donate the much-need life-savg rource. Acrdg to the Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood service, gay men are joed by sex workers and transgenr people who have had sex wh a man the last 12 months, their abily to donate to Atralia’s blood bank. Gay women and heterosexuals however?

Wh Atralia’s blood donatns nng crilly low this year, Ong and his peers are beg creasgly disheartened they n’t help, the Melbournian mentg there is a “mon feelg of disappotment” the queer muny at the lack of beg able to reason for the current 12-month perd of abstence for gay men is a rult of the HIV/AIDS epimic, prevalent gay muni back the 80s.

REVIEW THEIR DONATN POLICY TO ALLOW GAY MEN TO DONATE BLOODREVIEW THEIR DONATN POLICY TO ALLOW GAY MEN TO DONATE BLOOD

A factsheet om Lifeblood says “even men a clared exclive gay relatnship – have, on average, a 50 tim greater risk of HIV fectn, pared to heterosexual Atralians wh a new sexual partner.

“It trat me that a blanket approach has been put on, ” says event ordator for the Perth Gay Social Club Ian Odlum. In gay and bisexual men, HIV diagnos have cled by more than 44 per cent the same ’s timated that 29, 020 people, or 0.

MEDIL STUNT AND NURSE CHALLENGE SHOCKG LAW STOPPG HEALTHY GAY MEN ATRALIA OM GIVG BLOOD DONATNS TO SAVE LIV

Source: Supplied / Charlie Mills/WikipediaPl Benson is a 44-year-old Perth rint and gay. He's nvced that any 'risk' associated wh gay sex is misnsted. “I unrstand Red Cross and the TGA had had the optn to adopt an evince-based approach to blood donatn om gay and bisexual men for many years, ” he says, “but have so far cled to take on that evince-based approach”.

ATRALIA MOV TO EASE L ON GAY BLOOD DONORS

“It do not matter whether a person is gay or straight. "We know that gay and bisexual men clared monogamo relatnships are a low risk, but as a group they are still at a higher risk of exposure than people heterosexual relatnships... A social media post promotg a Red Cross blood donatn mpaign featurg two men Christmas jumpers has been blasted by LGBT social media ers who n't give blood, but the service says was not s tentn to pict a same-sex pots:The ad picts two men Christmas jumpers and is tend to promote blood donatnSome gay Facebook ers say appears to target them even though they nnot legally donateThe Red Cross Blood Service has fend the postThe Facebook ad has attracted more than 200 ments, many of which qutned the post's imagery at a time when gay men were still exclud om donatg ad — tend to boost blood donatn durg wter — was posted on Monday morng and shows two men who are former Red Cross employe.

"It seems pretty clearly targeted towards gay people, or at least uld be read as two gay men, " said Facebook er and former blood donor Xavier O'Shannsy. (ABC News: Maisie Cohen)Homosexual men were banned om donatg blood Atralia followg the HIV and AIDS crisis that shook the world the, men mt wa one year after havg sex wh another man — cludg oral sex and anal terurse wh or whout a ndom — to be eligible to blood service said the 12-month ferral perd was gradually troduced, startg wh South Atralia 1996 and endg wh New South Wal 2000. "It's jt a remr that my blood is somehow dirty to them … the reason why I say 's homophobic is bee 's assumed my inty is the risk, not my behavur, " he uld have been blocked om feedsAnother er, Andy Jon, said he did not thk the post should be altered or leted — but suggted should have been blocked om appearg the Facebook feeds of gay men.

"I don't know if havg a uple, who uld be perceived as beg a gay uple, is ever a good ia when promotg a mpaign like this.

HOW FDA'S FORTHG BLOOD DONOR POLICY CHANGE ULD HELP ADDRS STIGMA ABOUT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Atralian gay blood donatn mpaigners have weled a cisn the Uned Stat to allow gay men to give blood, and urged Atralia to follow su.

FDA PROPOS ALLOWG GAY AND BISEXUAL MONOGAMO MEN TO DONATE BLOOD

The US has dched a three-month abstence perd before gay men n give blood and will stead ask qutns about sexual risk of all donors regardls of their sexual orientatn, an approach known as ‘dividual risk asssment’. In Atralia the Red Cross Lifeblood Service has no plans to allow safe gay men to donate whole blood, spe dividual risk asssment now beg the approach the Uned Stat, Uned Kgdom, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Argenta and many other untri. Instead, Lifeblood wants gay men, and bisexual men and trans women who have sex wh men, all of whom n currently not give whole blood, to be able to give blood plasma.

Let Us Give spokperson, Thomas Buxere appld the US for replacg s gay blood ban wh dividual risk asssment, and lled on Atralia’s blood thori to do the same. “Allowg blood donatns om gay men, and bisexual men and trans women who have sex wh men, who are safe to give, will mean a new source of safe blood for those Atralians need, ” Mr Buxere said. “Atralian gay, bisexual and trans people who are currently blocked om donatg blood want to be able to save liv the same way as our unterparts the UK, Canada and the US.