Blood donations: New call to relax ‘frustrating’ rules placed on gay donors – The West Australian

A Perth man has revealed his frustration with restrictions tied to blood donations.

Premier Mark McGowan this week urged West Aussies to continue to give blood during the lockdown period, but not everyone who wants to is eligible.

Men who have engaged in sex with another male in the previous three months are prohibited from donating blood via the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood program.

Men taking pre-exposure HIV prophylaxis (PrEP) need to wait 12 months before donating blood because it impacts on the ability to detect HIV in tests.

The Red Cross states the donation criteria exists to ensure the blood collection process is “as safe as possible” for donors and patients.

Homosexual men were originally banned from giving blood because of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

Rules were eased in Australia earlier this year, reducing the 12-month waiting time between having sex and donating blood, by three quarters.

Perth man Ian Odlum said he was “frustrated” by the restrictions.

“When I hear radio commercials or see ads calling for more people to give blood because stocks are low, it frustrates me because I am willing and able as I’m sure a lot of other gay men are too,” Mr Odlum said.

He said he understood the health risks, but said it was based on such an “old” rule.

“If these rules are purely for fear of spreading HIV then it is discrimination because HIV is not just a gay disease. So I just wish more thought was put into the criteria,” he said.

“If a heterosexual male was asked to donate blood but they had to abstain from sex for three months, do you think they’d do it?”

Mr Odlum said there should be a better questioning process for men engaging in same-sex activity.

“There are many gay men in healthy relationships or are sexually safe and healthy that would jump at the chance to help save a life by giving blood,” he said.

Blood donation appointments across the country were reportedly left at critical levels this week, with lockdowns impacting on people’s willingness to offer-up their blood.

Mr McGowan said donating blood was an essential service and urged people to keep their appointments.

When WA experienced its April lockdown, there were 44,000 appointments left empty across Australia.

Only one in every two appointments were being kept, with a third cancelled or rescheduled on the day.