A symposium in Auckland is highlighting findings from a major study on blood donation and HIV prevention, which is helping inform Aotearoa’s blood donation rules.
At 11 am on Thursday, following talks by NZ researchers, New Zealand Blood Service provided an update that Medsafe has approved individualised assessment for screening potential blood and plasma donors. This change, expected to be implemented in early 2026, will allow more men who have sex with men (MSM) to donate.
SPOTS is the most comprehensive study on blood donation and gay and bisexual men (GBM) in NZ, and surveyed more than 3,200 GBM in 2022 about blood donation and HIV prevention behaviours. The community report is available here.
The SPOTS Symposium on blood donation and HIV prevention at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, 30-31 January 2025, features talks by international and NZ experts.
The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment. Feel free to use these comments in your reporting or follow up with the contact details provided.
Dr Sarah Morley, Chief Medical Officer, New Zealand Blood Service, comments:
“I am pleased that Medsafe has now approved our application to shift towards an individualised assessment when determining eligible blood and plasma donors. This evidence-based assessment will ask the same questions of every donor – irrespective of gender, sex or sexual orientation – when assessing potential risk for sexually transmitted infections, while maintaining the highest level of blood safety.
“Achieving Medsafe approval means NZBS is one step closer to introducing individualised donor assessments. However, before we implement this change, our testing regime needs to be updated to align with global best practice. These additional testing requirements will complement the individualised risk assessment change, and will help ensure the safety of our plasma products.
“We know this change has been a long time coming, so we want to thank people for their continued patience.
“At this stage, we anticipate that individualised donor assessments will be introduced in early 2026. We are committed to change, and we look forward to soon welcoming more gay, bisexual, takatāpui and other men who have sex with men into our whānau of lifesavers.”
No conflicts of interest. Dr Morley is the Chief Medical Officer for the New Zealand Blood Service and a co-author on a number of SPOTS research outputs.
Associate Professor Peter Saxton, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, comments:
“Our team is extremely pleased with today’s update by the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) that Medsafe has approved a shift towards individual risk assessment of blood donors. This takes Aotearoa, New Zealand one step closer to a more inclusive blood donor policy and more blood for those who need it.
“Currently in NZ, men who have sex with men are excluded (deferred) if they have had oral or anal intercourse with a man, with or without a condom, in the previous three months. This blanket ban means men in monogamous same-sex relationships are not allowed to donate, for example.
“According to SPOTS (the Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study), a shift from the current blanket policy to a more individualised risk assessment could mean approximately three times more gay and bisexual men and takatāpui (GBM) could donate blood in future.
“SPOTS data show that four out of five gay and bisexual men in NZ (GBM) wanted to donate blood if the rules were changed and they were allowed to donate. Importantly, our data suggest this would be safe for blood recipients. We found no participants with confirmed undiagnosed HIV.
“We knew NZBS wanted to modernise but lacked NZ evidence to strengthen their case. Therefore, we are delighted that SPOTS participants are helping improve NZ’s blood donor policy.
“Following Medsafe’s approval, we eagerly await further updates about the proposed changes. We understand it takes time to implement new policies where safety is paramount.
“More SPOTS findings are being prepared, and we welcome opportunities to support NZBS in this process.”
Conflict of interest statement: Dr Peter Saxton is lead investigator of the SPOTS study and Director of the Gay Men’s Sexual Health research group. He has received funding from HRC, Ministry of Health, Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, and Pharmac.
Dr Nathan Lachowsky, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Canada, comments:
“Following Canada’s tragic tainted blood scandal in the 1980s where thousands of Canadians acquired HIV and Hepatitis C, Canada has successfully implemented stepwise improvements to blood donor deferral criteria. Each of these changes balance maintenance of a safe and sufficient supply of blood products for our patients while using new research evidence to reduce discrimination against and unnecessary deferrals of prospective donors.
“In 2022, Health Canada approved moving to a gender-neutral individual sexual behaviour based screening approach for all blood donors, irrespective of sex, gender or sexual orientation. By the end of 2022, men who have sex with men in Canada were no longer specifically deferred from donating blood and plasma. This represented the most significant change in blood donor policy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities in decades.
“Now, all blood donors in Canada are now asked if they have had anal sex with a new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months.
“These changes are complex and requires careful attention to policy, operations, and communications. While a change in policy is a crucial and necessary step towards more inclusive and evidence-based approaches to blood donor screening, it is important that the blood system prepares to welcome new diverse donors, including necessary changes to IT systems, and updates to screening procedures, and that any necessary reparations with LGBTQ+ communities are made.
“Any changes should engage the multiple stakeholders, including LGBTQ+ people, blood recipients, current and past donors, and the general public. All steps to improve our blood systems should be commended and evaluated. With any change in screening policy, it is important to understand the extent and experience of new and previously deferred donors who newly donate to the blood system. It is also critical to ensure ongoing analysis of who is being under-served, and what equity and inclusion work remains to be done.”
Conflict of interest statement: Nathan Lachowsky received research funding from the Canadian Blood Services Men Who Have Sex With Men Research Fund, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. Canadian Blood Services is funded by the Canadian federal government (Health Canada) and the provincial and territorial ministries of health. The views herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Canadian Blood Services or the federal, provincial, or territorial governments of Canada. Nathan also serves as the voluntary Research Director for the non-profit Community Based Research Centre society in Canada, which has a decade long history of advocacy on the issue of blood donor deferral policy.