The Let Us Give campaign has urged newly-eligible gay, bisexual and transgender people to donate blood
From Monday April 20th, gay men, and bisexual men and transgender women who have sex with men, will be allowed to donate blood across Australia.
Gay, bisexual and trans Australians urged to donate blood from Monday
- gay blood donation starts Monday
- campaign group calls for donors
- end of ban welcomed but rules still not best practice
- Croome acknowledges many advocates for reform / will donate on Monday in Devonport
“Every letter to Lifeblood, every discrimination complaint, every scientific paper and every kitchen table conversation has contributed to the lifting of the gay blood ban. This has been a true grassroots movement.” – Rodney Croome
Let Us Give spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said “The main reason we campaigned to lift the old gay blood ban was to ensure there is more safe blood for Australians in need. I urge gay, bisexual and transgender people who are newly-eligible to donate to make a booking at their local blood collection centre. It’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and give the gift of life.”
The group estimates that lifting the gay blood ban will result in over 50,000 more blood donations per year (chart below). Mr Croome said the new donor rules are not best practice and the group will continue to work with Lifeblood to improve them.
“While monogamous gay, bisexual and transgender donors will now be able to donate, the ban on donation for those who have not been monogamous is six months, double what it is in comparable countries like Canada, the UK and US. Six months is an unnecessarily long period given new infections of HIV and other blood borne diseases show up in routine tests after only a few days. By imposing an unnecessarily cautious six-month monogamy prerequisite now that gay, bisexual and transgender can donate – a prerequisite that never applied to heterosexual donors when they alone could donate – Lifeblood is stereotyping us and sending the stigmatising message that we still pose some kind of risk to the blood supply.”
“We will work with Lifeblood to ensure global best-practice rules for gay blood donation, including no more than a three month waiting period for those who will currently have to wait six.”
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