Media Release
Friday January 13th 2023
 
GERMANY TO LIFT GAY BLOOD BAN / CALL ON AUSTRALIA TO FOLLOW
 
The Let Us Give campaign has welcomed moves by the German Government to remove the ban on gay blood donation and adopt individual risk assessment instead. 
 
Spokesperson, Thomas Buxereau said,
 
"Germany is joining an ever-growing list of countries that have ditched the archaic ban on donation from gay men, and bisexual men and trans women who have sex with men."
 
"Instead, it is adopting individual risk assessment which focusses on risky sexual activity rather than sexual orientation."
 
"We call on the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Service to move more quickly on this reform so Australia is no longer an international outlyer."
 
In Australia, gay men, and bisexual men, trans women and some non-binary people who have sex with men, must abstain from sex for three months before giving blood.
 
In December the Australian Red Cross Blood Service announced it will conduct a research program into adopting individual risk assessment.
 
However, it said the research program will take two years.
 
Mr Buxereau said,
 
"There is significant clinical evidence from around the world showing individual risk assessment is the best way forward."
 
"It shouldn't take two years for the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Service to review global and local research."
 
"We call on Lifeblood to expedite its reseach and reform the existing policy as quickly as possible."
 
For a news report from Germany:
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-pushes-to-end-gay-blood-donor-discrimination/a-64342861
 
For an independent review of the current evidence:
https://www.equal.org.au/recommendations_msm_blood_donor_deferrals
 
For information about Lifeblood's research project scroll to the bottom of this page:
https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/eligibility/sexual-activity
 
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Thomas Buxereau on 0415 896 884.