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Up to 20,000 additional blood donations are expected to be made each year across Australia, with new rules in effect from Monday allowing many gay and bisexual men and transgender people to donate for the first time.

So what has changed, and why?

What were the previous blood donation rules for LGBTQ+ people?

Previously, many people from the LGBTQ+ community were not eligible to donate blood or platelets if they’d had sex in the past three months, even if that was with the same partner.

This was due to now outdated restrictions introduced in response to the HIV pandemic in the 1980s. Back then, there was no reliable way to detect HIV in donated blood in the early stages of the disease.

But this policy has been criticised for stigmatising people and not being scientifically sound, after blood screening methods and HIV treatments improved.

The wait time to donate after sex has gradually been reduced over time, to 12 months in 2000, and then to three months in 2021.

What is changing for LGBTQ+ blood donors?

Anyone in a monogamous relationship can now donate immediately, as long as other criteria – such as a person’s age and iron levels – are met.

All donors are now asked the same sexual activity questions in the pre-donation questionnaire, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Men will no longer be asked if they’ve had sex with men.

Instead, everyone will be asked the same questions about recent partners. It shifts the focus to individual risk, rather than identity.

Lifeblood’s CEO, Stephen Cornelissen, said: “This is something we’ve been researching and working on for some time … we’re excited to be welcoming many more new donors into our centres to donate blood and platelets from today.”

“We hope many more people will feel welcomed in our donor centres from today, and sign up to become blood donors as a result of this change.”

Australia has among the safest blood donation systems in the world, and all changes have been reviewed and approved by Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Weren’t there changes to the rules already?

Yes. As of July 2025, sexual activity wait times were removed for plasma donations that prevented gay and bisexual men, and transgender women, who have had sex with men within three months from donating.

Those changes mean most HIV-negative people taking antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV infection (called pre-exposure prophylaxis) have been able to donate plasma without a wait period.

To check your eligibility to donate blood or plasma, click here.