New Zealand Will Ease Blood Donation Rules for Gay and Bisexual Men

From May 4, New Zealand will change its rules for blood and plasma donation so that gay and bisexual men are no longer automatically deferred simply because they had sex with another man in the previous three months. As the University of Auckland reports , the New Zealand Blood Service is moving to an individual risk assessment model.

In simple terms, that means all donors will now be asked the same questions about recent sexual activity, instead of singling out only men who have sex with men. This model is already used in several other countries and focuses on specific behaviour that may carry infection risk, rather than on a person’s sexual orientation.

The new system follows the SPOTS study carried out in New Zealand. According to the researchers, the study showed that a fairer and more consistent screening model should not reduce the safety of the national blood supply. At the same time, it could significantly increase the number of potential donors among gay and bisexual men.

The report also stresses the symbolic importance of the shift. For decades, men who have sex with men were treated as a separate category in donor rules, something many critics saw as outdated and discriminatory. New Zealand is now moving away from that approach and making the system more neutral in relation to sexual orientation.