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?
• WHY CAN'T GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA?
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS
• 'WE REALLY WANT TO HELP': CALLS TO EASE RTRICTNS ON GAY BLOOD DONATNS
• ATRALIA HAS OFFICIALLY EASED ITS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?
• PH TO LIFT GAY BLOOD DONATN BAN AMID SHORTAGE
• THE US HAS BEE THE LATT NATN TO REMOVE S 'GAY BLOOD BAN'. WILL ATRALIA FOLLOW?THE UN STAT IS JOG UNTRI SUCH AS THE UNED KGDOM AND CANADA EASG S BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS. WHY DON'T ATRALIA?SEVERAL NATNS HAVE EASED BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSMS). SOURCE: AAP / DAN HIMBRECHTSKEY POTSATRALIA HAS RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS OM GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, TRODUCED THE 1980SRIGHTS ADVOT WANT ATRALIA TO ADOPT THE SAME DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT POLICY AS THE US, CANADA AND UK.CHANGG ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L VOLV A "QUE PLEX" PROCS.THE UNED STAT' FOOD AND DG ADMISTRATN (FDA) ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK WOULD EASE S RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSM) AFTER PREV SCREENG L WERE LABELLED "HOMOPHOBIC".UNR THE CHANG, ALL PROSPECTIVE DONORS, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEX, GENR OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, WILL BE ASKED A SERI OF QUTNS ABOUT THEIR LIFTYLE TO TERME THEIR ELIGIBILY — A PRACTICE KNOWN AS AN DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT.IF THEY'VE HAD ANAL SEX WH NEW OR MULTIPLE PARTNERS THE PAST THREE MONTHS, THEY WON'T BE ALLOWED TO GIVE BLOOD. THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP) OR POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PEP) — MEDITNS ED TO PREVENT HIV FECTN — MT ALSO FER DONATG BLOOD.THE POLICY CHANGE BRGS THE US POLICY LE WH UNTRI LIKE CANADA AND THE UNED KGDOM.READ MOREJOE WANTS TO DONATE BLOOD. HE N'T BEE OF HIS SEXUALYLET US GIVE MPAIGN SPOKPERSON RODNEY CROOME SAID ALSO HIGHLIGHTED HOW ATRALIA WAS "SLIPPG FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHD BT PRACTICE"."THE CURRENT ATRALIAN GAY BLOOD BAN FEELS LIKE A SLAP THE FACE," HE TOLD SBS NEWS."IT SENDS A MSAGE THAT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND OUR NTRIBUTN TO SAVG THE LIV OF OTHERS ISN'T WELE. THAT'S A VERY STIGMATISG MSAGE — 'S BASILLY THAT WE'RE STILL SEND CLASS CIZENS."THE OTHER IMPACT OF THE CURRENT POLICY IS THAT MEANS THERE'S LS SAFE BLOOD AVAILABLE TO SAVE THE LIV OF THOSE NEED."MR CROOME SAID HE'D LIKE TO SEE ATRALIA ADOPT THE SAME DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT POLICY AS THE US, CANADA AND UK.WHAT ARE ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L AROUND SEXUAL ACTIVY?MORE THAN 1.7 LN BLOOD DONATNS ARE NEED EVERY YEAR TO MEET MAND, ACRDG TO THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS' LIFEBLOOD ANISATN.BUT THERE ARE CERTA L PLACE TERMG WHO N AND N'T GIVE BLOOD, ORR TO MATA THE SAFETY OF THE SUPPLY.RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WERE TRODUCED THE 1980S AT THE HEIGHT OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIMIC OVER NCERNS OF TRANSMISSN THROUGH TRANSFN.WHILE THE L HAVE SOMEWHAT EASED SCE THEN, MOST MSMS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEX WH MSMS ARE STILL ELIGIBLE TO GIVE BLOOD, AS THE TTS PERFORMED ON THEIR DONATNS ARE UNABLE TO TECT EARLY HIV FECTNS.CURRENTLY, ANYONE WHO ANSWERS 'Y' TO ANY OF THE QUTNS WILL HAVE TO WA THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DONATE:HAD ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN?HAD SEX WH A MALE WHO YOU THK MAY HAVE HAD ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN?BEEN A MALE OR FEMALE SEX WORKER OR HAD SEX WH ONE?ENGAGED SEXUAL ACTIVY WH SOMEONE WHO EVER JECTED DGS NOT PRCRIBED BY A DOCTOR OR NTIST?ENGAGED SEXUAL ACTIVY WH SOMEONE WHO WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIV, HEPATIS B, HEPATIS C OR HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIS (HTLV) FECTN?YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO WA TO DONATE IF YOU’VE HAD SEX WH A NEW PARTNER WHO LIV OR LIVED OVERSEAS, PENDG ON THE LEVEL OF HIV RISK THAT UNTRY.THERE ARE OTHER ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA, AS WELL.HOW ARE ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L CHANGED?LIFEBLOOD CHIEF MEDIL OFFICER DR JOANNE PK SAID ATRALIA'S APPROVAL PROCS FOR CHANG TO BLOOD SAFETY L WAS "QUE PLEX".THE FIRST STEP VOLV LIFEBLOOD MAKG A SUBMISSN TO THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN, ADVOTG FOR A CHANGE TO TAKE PLACE.IF THE TGA APPROV THE SUBMISSN, AGREEMENT THEN NEEDS TO BE SOUGHT OM STATE AND TERRORY ERNMENTS, AS WELL AS GLOBAL BTECH PANY CSL BEHRG, BEFORE IS IMPLEMENTED.READ MORE'BREAK THE STIGMA': BLOOD DONATNS ENURAGED FOR MIGRANTS ATRALIA AMID WORLD RERD ATTEMPTEARLIER THIS YEAR, LIFEBLOOD MA A SUBMISSN TO THE TGA PROPOSG ALL SEXUAL ACTIVY L BE REMOVED FOR PLASMA DONATN, CLUDG FOR THOSE TAKG PREP."WHAT'S REALLY EXCG ABOUT PLASMA IS THAT 'S GOT AN ADDNAL SAFETY PLANT LLED PATHOGEN ACTIVATN, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THEY E A PROCS WHICH N KILL OFF OR REMOVE VIS AND BACTERIA," DR PK TOLD SBS NEWS."THAT PARTICULAR PROCS IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR RED CELLS, SO WE'VE GOT MORE OPTNS WH PLASMA."TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS APPROACH WHOUT IMPACTG ON PATIENT SAFETY IS A POWERFUL AND CLIVE WAY TO POTENTIALLY ALLOW MORE PEOPLE ATRALIA TO HELP OTHERS."A TGA SPOKPERSON NFIRMED THE APPLITN WAS CURRENTLY BEG ASSSED."A CISN BY TGA IS EXPECTED THE NEAR FUTURE," THEY TOLD SBS NEWS A STATEMENT.MR CROOME SAID WHILE ANY CREASE ATRALIA'S BLOOD PRODUCT SUPPLY WOULD BE WELE, OTHER UNTRI' EXPERIENC SHOWED REMOVG L FOR PLASMA DONATN DIDN'T ADDRS THE MA PROBLEM."THE ISSUE IS NTUED DISCRIMATN THE SUPPLY OF WHOLE BLOOD, AND THE FACT THAT WHOLE BLOOD IS WHAT IS REGULARLY SHORT SUPPLY," HE SAID."IN CANADA AND ISRAEL THE LAST FEW YEARS, THEY ALLOWED GAY MEN TO GIVE PLASMA, BUT NOT WHOLE BLOOD, AND BOTH OF THOSE UNTRI, THEY FOUND THAT THAT WASN'T THE SOLUTN."PLASMA DONATN IS A MUCH MORE TIME NSUMG AND DIFFICULT PROCS THAN DONATG WHOLE BLOOD … SO THE AMOUNT OF PLASMA GIVEN DIDN'T CREASE VERY MUCH, AND OF URSE, THERE STILL NTUED TO BE A SHORTAGE OF WHOLE BLOOD AND DISCRIMATN THE LLECTN OF WHOLE BLOOD."ISRAEL AND CANADA ABANDONED THAT PATHWAY VERY QUICKLY, AND BOTH UNTRI MOVED ON TO ALLOWG GAY MEN TO DONATE WHOLE BLOOD."WILL LIFEBLOOD REMEND CHANG FOR MSM WHOLE BLOOD DONATN?LIFEBLOOD RECENTLY TABLISHED A REARCH ADVISORY PANEL TO CI WHETHER TO REMEND DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT FOR BLOOD DONATNS, AND IF SO, HOW ULD BE BT ADAPTED TO SU ATRALIA.DR PK SAID SHE EXPECTED WOULD TAKE ONE TO TWO YEARS FOR LIFEBLOOD TO PLETE THE REARCH NEED TO REACH S CISN, BEFORE A SUBMISSN TO THE TGA WAS EVEN NSIRED."WE KNOW PEOPLE WANT CHANGE ON THIS LE, AND WE DO, TOO," SHE SAID.BUT ATRALIA ULDN'T SIMPLY TRODUCE NEW BLOOD SAFETY L BEE OTHER UNTRI HAD, DR PK SAID."IT IS IMPORTANT TO NSIR LOL HEALTH DATA, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MON HIV IS ACROSS THE POPULATN, AND WHETHER THERE ARE PARTICULAR GROUPS OF DIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF RRYG THE FECTN," SHE SAID."WH ATRALIA, THERE ARE TWO MA GROUPS WHO HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF HIV, THAT'S GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, BUT ALSO, THERE IS A HIGHER RISK HETEROSEXUALS WHO HAVE A SEXUAL PARTNER OM A UNTRY WH A HIGHER RISK OF HIV."THE UNTRI THAT TYPILLY HAVE IMPLEMENTED DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT HAVE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTN OF HIV ACROSS THE POPULATN."READ MOREDOLLY'S JOB HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DANGERO THAN IS NOW. SHE'S REFG TO LET STOP HERMR CROOME SAID LIFEBLOOD WAS BEG "OVERLY UT" ON THE ISSUE AND NEED TO ACT "MUCH MORE QUICKLY"."THERE IS ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOGRAPHICS OF HIV FECTN CANADA AND ATRALIA. AMONGST MEN, 'S ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME," HE SAID.THE REAL SAFETY RISK ME OM THOSE WHO WERE NEWLY FECTED WH HIV, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, MR CROOME SAID."THE NEW FECTN RATE AMONGST GAY MEN IS GOG DOWN TO TO POT WHERE THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSN THROUGH BLOOD DONATN IS STATISTILLY NEGLIGIBLE," HE SAID.SHARE7 M READPUBLISHED 16 MAY 2023 6:01AMBY AMY HALLSOURCE: SBS NEWSAVAILABLE OTHER LANGUAGTAGSHEALTHATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS
• CANADIAN BLOOD SERVIC NOW ALLOWS SOME GAY, BISEXUAL MEN TO DONATE PLASMA CALGARY, LONDON, ONT.
• IT’S 2020 AND MOST GAY MEN STILL N’T DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA
• WHICH UNTRI PROHIB GAY OR BISEXUAL MEN OM DONATG 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. ”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.

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

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.

“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.

S., the Red Cross, along wh One Blood, Valant and partner LGBTQ+ muny health centers, are participatg a pilot study fund by the FDA select ci that uld potentially lead to chang for blood donor eligibily creria for gay and bisexual men.

WHY CAN'T GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA?

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. "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.

(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. 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".

LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

But there is one easily implementable solutn to the natnal blood-supply shortage that’s been available for years and uld be a lifele: allowg gay and bisexual men to donate eely. S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex wh men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex wh another man the past three months. “It is my opn that we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science, ” she ntuatn of a MSM-specific barrier to givg is not only limg the blood supply, ’s unnecsary and “rooted homophobia, ” explas Perry N.

'WE REALLY WANT TO HELP': CALLS TO EASE RTRICTNS ON GAY BLOOD DONATNS

”In 2015, theFDA loosened s rtrictn, permtg gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they hadn’t had sex wh another man the past year. Conducted tanm wh the natn’s largt blood centers—the Amerin Red Cross, Valant, and OneBlood—the rearch effort will survey 2, 000 gay and bisexual men across the untry between the ag of 18 and 30 who have had sex wh at least one man the past three months.

So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly. The first step is to sign GLAAD’s petn at You then n—and should—te those around you, “sce many people, cludg gay and bi men, don’t know that this ban exists, ” adds Lasky.

ATRALIA HAS OFFICIALLY EASED ITS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

If you’re a sexually active gay or bisexual man, or trans, you n’t donate blood right now 's nothg and bisexual men were banned om givg blood durg the HIV and AIDS crisis that gripped the world the total ban beme a 12 month celibacy perd a few years later and earlier this year that was rced even further, meang men who have sex wh men now need to wa three months sce their last sexual ntact wh a man before they n Rodney Croome om natnal LGBTQI+ advocy anisatn don't thk there should be any "ferral" perd place at all. "It's an ia beg embraced by other untri around the UK recently announced 's scrappg s three month postponement for gay and bisexual men who have had the same sexual partner for more than three 's beg replaced wh an dividualised risk asssment that would mean anyone who wants to donate blood would be asked qutns about their sexual Croome thks that mak sense. "The overwhelmg majory of gay and bisexual men Atralia don't have HIV and will never have HIV bee we practise safe sex or bee we're monogamo relatnships, " he said.

Rearch rried out untri that have moved towards dividualised risk asssments has found the risk of sexually transmted fectns enterg the blood supply do not UK ernment has hailed what lls a "world leadg, safe optn" that regnis dividuals for the actns they take "rather than their sexual preference" says we need to be seeg siar progrs Atralia bee the current l around blood donatn are damagg to gay and bisexual men.

WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?

"There's a stereotype of gay men that we're somehow more prone to disease, that we're somehow more likely to be a threat to the health of others, " he said.

"'I felt so small'Daniel Cottier was turned away when he tried to donate blood New South Wal earlier this a gay man, he followed the l and gave up sex three months before prentg for his when he got to the clic he found out that he still wasn't eligible to give blood bee he had taken the HIV preventative meditn PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) wh the last 12 uldn't fd that rmatn on the Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood webse. "Daniel later got an apology om Lifeblood and they have updated their webse to make clear that unr the current rtrictns if you are a gay man who PrEP, you have to wa a year sce your last dose before you n donate. "But Rodney Croome believ the evince is creasgly showg the advantag of rcg rtrictns for gay, bi and trans people and the change would benef more than jt those muni.

Durg a prs nference Wednday afternoon, ARUP Blood Servic ma the announcement, makg the first donor center the state to accept donatns om the gay muny. After s of harsh rtrictns for LGBTQI+ people who have wished to donate blood, Atralia has fally relaxed s long-standg blood donatn l for gay and bisexual men, as well as those who are transgenr. “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.

PH TO LIFT GAY BLOOD DONATN BAN AMID SHORTAGE

Acrdg to, the study also showed that among gay men who would donate blood, the prevalence of HIV is lower than the general populatn. (This May 11 story rrects date and time reference for France fal par)LONDON (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Countri around the world are reviewg rtrictns on blood donatns by gay and bisexual men imposed durg the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, wh some removg blanket bans and others rcg wag perds after gay ’s Supreme Court led on Friday that a 12-month ferral perd for gay and bi men to give blood was unnstutnal, a policy LGBT+ mpaigners had long argued was discrimatory given morn blood-screeng now, Brazil’s ernment will have to treat gay and bisexual men the same as heterosexual men when donatg blood. It uld wre a new law that restat the ban, but s posn is not yet blood suppli have e unr prsure due to the ronavis panmic, lls have grown for ernments to replace abstence perds for men who have sex wh men to donate blood wh dividual risk-based month, the Uned Stat and Northern Ireland cut their abstence perds, while Atralia said plans to do are the l erng blood donatn by gay and bi men around the world:- Countri that impose lifelong bans on gay and bisexual men donatg blood clu Croatia, Iceland, Malaysia, Slovenia, Sgapore, Tridad and Tobago and Ukrae- At least 17 untri now have no rtrictns, cludg Argenta, Italy, Rsia, South Ai, Spa and, as of January this year, Hungary- In April 2020, the Uned Stat cut s celibacy perd om 12 months to three months amid a blood shortage- Last month, Northern Ireland also rced s ferral perd om one year to three months, brgg to le wh regulatns the rt of the Uned Kgdom- Some untri differentiate between blood products and blood general, but Bra men who have had sex wh another man the last three months and revered om Covid-19 nnot donate their plasma to a ronavis treatment trial- Most untri do not mentn whether takg Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a HIV-preventn dg, affects gay and bi men’s abily to donate blood.

Bra says s three-month abstence perd appli regardls of whether someone tak PrEP or not- When Atralia announced s tentn to cut the abstence perd om 12 months to three April, said people takg PrEP would still have a 12-month abstence perd- Atria lifted a blanket ban on men who have sex wh men givg blood, replacg wh a 12-month abstence perd for gay and bi men December 2019- In March, Denmark lifted s lifelong ban, implementg a prevly announced wag perd of four months- France has had a wag perd of 12 months sce 2016, when lifted a ban on gay and bisexual men givg blood that had been place sce 1983Sourc: Thomson Rters Foundatn rearch, RtersReportg by Rachel Savage @rachelmsavage and Elsa Ohlen; Addnal reportg by Fab Teixeira; Edg by Helen Popper and Hugo Greenhalgh.

THE US HAS BEE THE LATT NATN TO REMOVE S 'GAY BLOOD BAN'. WILL ATRALIA FOLLOW?THE UN STAT IS JOG UNTRI SUCH AS THE UNED KGDOM AND CANADA EASG S BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS. WHY DON'T ATRALIA?SEVERAL NATNS HAVE EASED BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSMS). SOURCE: AAP / DAN HIMBRECHTSKEY POTSATRALIA HAS RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS OM GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, TRODUCED THE 1980SRIGHTS ADVOT WANT ATRALIA TO ADOPT THE SAME DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT POLICY AS THE US, CANADA AND UK.CHANGG ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L VOLV A "QUE PLEX" PROCS.THE UNED STAT' FOOD AND DG ADMISTRATN (FDA) ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK WOULD EASE S RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN (MSM) AFTER PREV SCREENG L WERE LABELLED "HOMOPHOBIC".UNR THE CHANG, ALL PROSPECTIVE DONORS, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEX, GENR OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, WILL BE ASKED A SERI OF QUTNS ABOUT THEIR LIFTYLE TO TERME THEIR ELIGIBILY — A PRACTICE KNOWN AS AN DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT.IF THEY'VE HAD ANAL SEX WH NEW OR MULTIPLE PARTNERS THE PAST THREE MONTHS, THEY WON'T BE ALLOWED TO GIVE BLOOD. THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP) OR POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PEP) — MEDITNS ED TO PREVENT HIV FECTN — MT ALSO FER DONATG BLOOD.THE POLICY CHANGE BRGS THE US POLICY LE WH UNTRI LIKE CANADA AND THE UNED KGDOM.READ MOREJOE WANTS TO DONATE BLOOD. HE N'T BEE OF HIS SEXUALYLET US GIVE MPAIGN SPOKPERSON RODNEY CROOME SAID ALSO HIGHLIGHTED HOW ATRALIA WAS "SLIPPG FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHD BT PRACTICE"."THE CURRENT ATRALIAN GAY BLOOD BAN FEELS LIKE A SLAP THE FACE," HE TOLD SBS NEWS."IT SENDS A MSAGE THAT GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AND OUR NTRIBUTN TO SAVG THE LIV OF OTHERS ISN'T WELE. THAT'S A VERY STIGMATISG MSAGE — 'S BASILLY THAT WE'RE STILL SEND CLASS CIZENS."THE OTHER IMPACT OF THE CURRENT POLICY IS THAT MEANS THERE'S LS SAFE BLOOD AVAILABLE TO SAVE THE LIV OF THOSE NEED."MR CROOME SAID HE'D LIKE TO SEE ATRALIA ADOPT THE SAME DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT POLICY AS THE US, CANADA AND UK.WHAT ARE ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L AROUND SEXUAL ACTIVY?MORE THAN 1.7 LN BLOOD DONATNS ARE NEED EVERY YEAR TO MEET MAND, ACRDG TO THE ATRALIAN RED CROSS' LIFEBLOOD ANISATN.BUT THERE ARE CERTA L PLACE TERMG WHO N AND N'T GIVE BLOOD, ORR TO MATA THE SAFETY OF THE SUPPLY.RTRICTNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WERE TRODUCED THE 1980S AT THE HEIGHT OF THE HIV/AIDS EPIMIC OVER NCERNS OF TRANSMISSN THROUGH TRANSFN.WHILE THE L HAVE SOMEWHAT EASED SCE THEN, MOST MSMS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEX WH MSMS ARE STILL ELIGIBLE TO GIVE BLOOD, AS THE TTS PERFORMED ON THEIR DONATNS ARE UNABLE TO TECT EARLY HIV FECTNS.CURRENTLY, ANYONE WHO ANSWERS 'Y' TO ANY OF THE QUTNS WILL HAVE TO WA THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DONATE:HAD ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN?HAD SEX WH A MALE WHO YOU THK MAY HAVE HAD ORAL OR ANAL SEX WH ANOTHER MAN?BEEN A MALE OR FEMALE SEX WORKER OR HAD SEX WH ONE?ENGAGED SEXUAL ACTIVY WH SOMEONE WHO EVER JECTED DGS NOT PRCRIBED BY A DOCTOR OR NTIST?ENGAGED SEXUAL ACTIVY WH SOMEONE WHO WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIV, HEPATIS B, HEPATIS C OR HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIS (HTLV) FECTN?YOU MAY ALSO NEED TO WA TO DONATE IF YOU’VE HAD SEX WH A NEW PARTNER WHO LIV OR LIVED OVERSEAS, PENDG ON THE LEVEL OF HIV RISK THAT UNTRY.THERE ARE OTHER ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS TO BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD ATRALIA, AS WELL.HOW ARE ATRALIA'S BLOOD DONATN L CHANGED?LIFEBLOOD CHIEF MEDIL OFFICER DR JOANNE PK SAID ATRALIA'S APPROVAL PROCS FOR CHANG TO BLOOD SAFETY L WAS "QUE PLEX".THE FIRST STEP VOLV LIFEBLOOD MAKG A SUBMISSN TO THE THERAPTIC GOODS ADMISTRATN, ADVOTG FOR A CHANGE TO TAKE PLACE.IF THE TGA APPROV THE SUBMISSN, AGREEMENT THEN NEEDS TO BE SOUGHT OM STATE AND TERRORY ERNMENTS, AS WELL AS GLOBAL BTECH PANY CSL BEHRG, BEFORE IS IMPLEMENTED.READ MORE'BREAK THE STIGMA': BLOOD DONATNS ENURAGED FOR MIGRANTS ATRALIA AMID WORLD RERD ATTEMPTEARLIER THIS YEAR, LIFEBLOOD MA A SUBMISSN TO THE TGA PROPOSG ALL SEXUAL ACTIVY L BE REMOVED FOR PLASMA DONATN, CLUDG FOR THOSE TAKG PREP."WHAT'S REALLY EXCG ABOUT PLASMA IS THAT 'S GOT AN ADDNAL SAFETY PLANT LLED PATHOGEN ACTIVATN, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THEY E A PROCS WHICH N KILL OFF OR REMOVE VIS AND BACTERIA," DR PK TOLD SBS NEWS."THAT PARTICULAR PROCS IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR RED CELLS, SO WE'VE GOT MORE OPTNS WH PLASMA."TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS APPROACH WHOUT IMPACTG ON PATIENT SAFETY IS A POWERFUL AND CLIVE WAY TO POTENTIALLY ALLOW MORE PEOPLE ATRALIA TO HELP OTHERS."A TGA SPOKPERSON NFIRMED THE APPLITN WAS CURRENTLY BEG ASSSED."A CISN BY TGA IS EXPECTED THE NEAR FUTURE," THEY TOLD SBS NEWS A STATEMENT.MR CROOME SAID WHILE ANY CREASE ATRALIA'S BLOOD PRODUCT SUPPLY WOULD BE WELE, OTHER UNTRI' EXPERIENC SHOWED REMOVG L FOR PLASMA DONATN DIDN'T ADDRS THE MA PROBLEM."THE ISSUE IS NTUED DISCRIMATN THE SUPPLY OF WHOLE BLOOD, AND THE FACT THAT WHOLE BLOOD IS WHAT IS REGULARLY SHORT SUPPLY," HE SAID."IN CANADA AND ISRAEL THE LAST FEW YEARS, THEY ALLOWED GAY MEN TO GIVE PLASMA, BUT NOT WHOLE BLOOD, AND BOTH OF THOSE UNTRI, THEY FOUND THAT THAT WASN'T THE SOLUTN."PLASMA DONATN IS A MUCH MORE TIME NSUMG AND DIFFICULT PROCS THAN DONATG WHOLE BLOOD … SO THE AMOUNT OF PLASMA GIVEN DIDN'T CREASE VERY MUCH, AND OF URSE, THERE STILL NTUED TO BE A SHORTAGE OF WHOLE BLOOD AND DISCRIMATN THE LLECTN OF WHOLE BLOOD."ISRAEL AND CANADA ABANDONED THAT PATHWAY VERY QUICKLY, AND BOTH UNTRI MOVED ON TO ALLOWG GAY MEN TO DONATE WHOLE BLOOD."WILL LIFEBLOOD REMEND CHANG FOR MSM WHOLE BLOOD DONATN?LIFEBLOOD RECENTLY TABLISHED A REARCH ADVISORY PANEL TO CI WHETHER TO REMEND DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT FOR BLOOD DONATNS, AND IF SO, HOW ULD BE BT ADAPTED TO SU ATRALIA.DR PK SAID SHE EXPECTED WOULD TAKE ONE TO TWO YEARS FOR LIFEBLOOD TO PLETE THE REARCH NEED TO REACH S CISN, BEFORE A SUBMISSN TO THE TGA WAS EVEN NSIRED."WE KNOW PEOPLE WANT CHANGE ON THIS LE, AND WE DO, TOO," SHE SAID.BUT ATRALIA ULDN'T SIMPLY TRODUCE NEW BLOOD SAFETY L BEE OTHER UNTRI HAD, DR PK SAID."IT IS IMPORTANT TO NSIR LOL HEALTH DATA, SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MON HIV IS ACROSS THE POPULATN, AND WHETHER THERE ARE PARTICULAR GROUPS OF DIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF RRYG THE FECTN," SHE SAID."WH ATRALIA, THERE ARE TWO MA GROUPS WHO HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF HIV, THAT'S GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, BUT ALSO, THERE IS A HIGHER RISK HETEROSEXUALS WHO HAVE A SEXUAL PARTNER OM A UNTRY WH A HIGHER RISK OF HIV."THE UNTRI THAT TYPILLY HAVE IMPLEMENTED DIVIDUAL RISK ASSSMENT HAVE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTN OF HIV ACROSS THE POPULATN."READ MOREDOLLY'S JOB HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DANGERO THAN IS NOW. SHE'S REFG TO LET STOP HERMR CROOME SAID LIFEBLOOD WAS BEG "OVERLY UT" ON THE ISSUE AND NEED TO ACT "MUCH MORE QUICKLY"."THERE IS ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOGRAPHICS OF HIV FECTN CANADA AND ATRALIA. AMONGST MEN, 'S ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME," HE SAID.THE REAL SAFETY RISK ME OM THOSE WHO WERE NEWLY FECTED WH HIV, REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN, MR CROOME SAID."THE NEW FECTN RATE AMONGST GAY MEN IS GOG DOWN TO TO POT WHERE THE RISK OF HIV TRANSMISSN THROUGH BLOOD DONATN IS STATISTILLY NEGLIGIBLE," HE SAID.SHARE7 M READPUBLISHED 16 MAY 2023 6:01AMBY AMY HALLSOURCE: SBS NEWSAVAILABLE OTHER LANGUAGTAGSHEALTHATRALIASHARE THIS WH FAY AND IENDSCOPY LKSHARETOPICS

Atralian Red Cross Lifeblood is nsirg changg l to allow more gay and bisexual men to donate plasma, but equaly advot are urgg to go further and screen donors on their sexual activy to rce HIV and transgenr people who have sex wh partners signated male at birth are not allowed to donate blood unls they have been celibate for three months and Atralia says is time for this to Buxere wants to be able to donate Flav Branleone“I’ve been wh my hband for 12 years, and I jt don’t unrstand why my blood would be emed as unsafe, ” Thomas Buxere, om the advocy group’s Let Us Give mpaign, told The Sydney Morng Herald and The Age. “The vast majory of gay men do not have HIV, and some people engagg heterosexual sex do have HIV, ” she NSW Kirby Instute’s most recent HIV surveillance report found that male-to-male sex acunted for 58 per cent of HIV notifitns 2020 wh 365 s, pared wh 155 om heterosexual sex (24 per cent) Dane said while gay men were at higher risk, the overall numbers both groups were low and men who had sex wh men were more likely to get tted regularly. ”LoadgPlasma is the liquid ponent of blood and is ed to make immunoglobul, given travenoly to help people wh ncer or weakened immune systems fight off fectns, and album, ed to treat or prevent shock followg ser jury, bleedg, surgery, or said changg the l applyg to gay and bisexual men for plasma donatn alone “won’t substantially crease the amount of safe blood available or elimate discrimatn” and was an approach Canada had April, the Theraptic Goods Admistratn approved Lifeblood’s requt to lift the ban on almost 750, 000 people donatg blood after livg the Uned Kgdom for six months or longer, put place due to ncerns about the impact of the untry’s “mad w” epimic.

CANADIAN BLOOD SERVIC NOW ALLOWS SOME GAY, BISEXUAL MEN TO DONATE PLASMA CALGARY, LONDON, ONT.

ClarifitnA prev versn of this story had an HIV notifitn figure that clud gay male traveno dg ers, has been updated to only clu male-to-male sex.

Key PotsAtralia has rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men, troduced the 1980sRights advot want Atralia to adopt the same dividual risk asssment policy as the US, Canada and UK. Changg Atralia's blood donatn l volv a "que plex" Uned Stat' Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) announced last week would ease s rtrictns on blood donatns for men who have sex wh men (MSM) after prev screeng l were labelled "homophobic" the chang, all prospective donors, regardls of their sex, genr or sexual orientatn, will be asked a seri of qutns about their liftyle to terme their eligibily — a practice known as an dividual risk they've had anal sex wh new or multiple partners the past three months, they won't be allowed to give blood.

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

"It sends a msage that gay and bisexual men are a threat to public health, and our ntributn to savg the liv of others isn't wele. Rtrictns for gay and bisexual men were troduced the 1980s at the height of the HIV/AIDS epimic over ncerns of transmissn through the l have somewhat eased sce then, most MSMs and people who have sex wh MSMs are still eligible to give blood, as the tts performed on their donatns are unable to tect early HIV fectns. "In Canada and Israel the last few years, they allowed gay men to give plasma, but not whole blood, and both of those untri, they found that that wasn't the solutn.

"Israel and Canada abandoned that pathway very quickly, and both untri moved on to allowg gay men to donate whole blood. "Wh Atralia, there are two ma groups who have a higher risk of HIV, that's gay and bisexual men, but also, there is a higher risk heterosexuals who have a sexual partner om a untry wh a higher risk of HIV.

WHICH UNTRI PROHIB GAY OR BISEXUAL MEN OM DONATG BLOOD?

"The new fectn rate amongst gay men is gog down to to pot where the risk of HIV transmissn through blood donatn is statistilly negligible, " he said.

LondonCanadian Blood Servic is takg the first steps to allowg gay and bisexual men who have sex wh men — which lls the gbMSM muny — to donate blood plasma, startg the tt ci of Calgary and London, agency's prev policy has been lled discrimatory, cludg by men who have sex wh menBlood plasma is the straw-loured liquid ponent left when blood cells are removed om whole blood.

Canadian Blood Servic is ttg out s plasma donatn eligibily, London, Ont., and Calgary, for gay and bisexual men who have sex wh men. (Hiep Vu via Canadian Blood Servic)Canadian Blood Servic is takg the first steps to allowg gay and bisexual men who have sex wh men — which lls the gbMSM muny — to donate blood plasma, which is startg two tt ci: Calgary, Alta., and London, marks the first time the agency is openg donatns to gay and bisexual men.