In Australia, regulations that essentially prohibited all gay and bisexual males who were sexually active from giving blood or plasma are being repealed.
Following similar actions in the US and the UK, the regulations, which were first put in place to reduce the risk of blood donations from groups with a higher likelihood of HIV infection, will start to be lifted next month.
However, according to the national blood donation organization Lifeblood, the revisions will make Australia the first nation in the world to eliminate all limitations on plasma donation based on sexual activity.
The nation’s health products authority has approved the new regulations, which are expected to increase the number of donors by 625,000.
