Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Announces Inclusive Blood Donation Rules
More Australians will become eligible to donate blood from April, after the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood confirmed new, more inclusive sexual activity rules.
Starting Monday, 20 April, all blood donors will answer the same sexual activity questions, regardless of gender. This means men will no longer be asked in the pre-donation questionnaire if they have recently had sex with another man—a longstanding barrier for gay and bisexual men.
The revised guidelines will allow more people, including gay, bisexual, and transgender Australians in long-term monogamous relationships, to give blood, provided they meet other eligibility criteria.
The move follows similar changes for plasma donations in July 2025, which led to an additional 6,437 donations and 2,709 new donors.
Lifeblood CEO Stephen Cornelissen AM said the organization has been working to make blood donation more inclusive while maintaining the highest safety standards for recipients. “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 Australians in long-term monogamous relationships will now be able to donate blood, while many who remain ineligible for blood donation will still be able to donate plasma.
Mr Cornelissen emphasized that the safety and well-being of patients would always be Lifeblood’s top priority. “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.
He added, “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 for blood donation under the new gender-neutral rules open on Monday, 20 April 2026.
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