Guide to Blood Donation Eligibility: Are Men Identifying as Gay Permitted to Donate Blood?
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its blood donation criteria for individuals who identify as gay men. As of mid-2025, men who have had sex with men must wait three months from their last sexual encounter before they are eligible to donate blood [1].
This policy aims to balance increasing the donor pool of gay and bisexual men while maintaining safety by avoiding potential early-stage infectious disease transmission that may not yet be detectable despite advanced testing [1]. The FDA's revised guidelines require donors to define themselves as either male or female [2].
The three-month deferral allows adequate time to detect potential infections and avoid passing them onto the blood recipients [3]. However, it's important to note that every unit of blood undergoes testing, but it is not 100% effective in detecting infectious diseases in blood from donors with very early infection [3].
The FDA's updated policy applies to all prospective donors who have had a new sexual partner or engaged in anal sex within the last three months, regardless of gender [1]. This policy is notable for its impact on gay and bisexual men, but it applies equally to males in a monogamous same-sex relationship and to anyone who has had sex with an individual who meets the criteria [3].
The FAIR steering group in the United Kingdom suggests asking all donors with new or multiple partners if they have had anal sex in the last 3 months, regardless of condom use [5]. The group also recommends deferring those who have had anal sex with a new partner or multiple partners in the last 3 months, irrespective of their or their partner's sex [5].
In contrast, some countries are moving toward gender-neutral assessments with more nuanced criteria. For example, in Australia, most people who have had anal sex with the same partner for 6 months or more can donate, but there are still restrictions for new or multiple partners [4].
The Human Rights Campaign advocates for the FDA to revise donation eligibility to evaluate the risk of sexual behaviors equally, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity [2]. Some experts also recommend that the deferral period should instead be 2 weeks [3].
The emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s and the recognition that it could transmit via blood changed the U.S. blood system [6]. In April 2020, the FDA further reduced the deferral period to 3 months due to COVID-19-related blood shortages [3].
References:
- FDA updates blood donor deferral questions for men who have sex with men
- Human Rights Campaign
- Blood donation deferral policies for men who have sex with men: a review of the evidence
- Blood donation deferral policies for men who have sex with men: an international perspective
- FAIR steering group recommendations on blood donation deferral policies for men who have sex with men
- History of Blood Donor Deferral Policies for Men Who Have Sex with Men in the United States
- The FDA's updated blood donation policy applies to all individuals, regardless of gender identity, who have had a new sexual partner or engaged in anal sex within the last three months.
- The Human Rights Campaign advocates for the FDA to evaluate the risk of sexual behaviors equally, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity, recommending a 2-week deferral period instead of the current 3 months.
- In discussions about blood donation, it's crucial to consider the role of science in health-and-wellness, as well as sexual health, in ensuring that the testing and deferral periods are as effective as possible in detecting infectious diseases.
