Treasurer Chris Steel marks the end of rules restricting some potential blood donors by donating plasma in Civic. Photo: Nicholas Ward.
It was a historic day on Monday 14 July as tens of thousands of people became eligible to give plasma.
A rule change on donations ended restrictions on gay and bisexual men and transgender women donating plasma after the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved a submission to remove gender based sexual activity rules.
Treasurer Chris Steel – himself ineligible for much of his adult life – marked the occasion at Lifeblood Civic as one of the first people in the city to take advantage of the change.
“This has been decades in the making, and I think with the significant barriers to equality being removed in so many other areas of life, this is one of the last remaining barriers. It’s great to see it being overcome, and there’s now no excuse not to donate blood for those who can. It helps so many people who are in need in our community – plasma is an incredibly important product,” Mr Steel said.
Restrictions on sexual activity for blood donors were put in place in the 1980s during the HIV epidemic.
Previous donation rules meant that many LGBT+ individuals had to wait three to 12 months to give blood, making it impractical for most.
From this week, most of these people can now donate plasma with no wait period so long as they have not been diagnosed with HIV or are having sexual contact with HIV positive individuals.
The rule change means an estimated 24,000 people will be able to donate a potential 94,000 plasma donations a year. Mr Steel said he was sure this would make a big difference to blood supplies in the territory.
“Gay and bisexual men are just as altruistic as anyone else. They want to roll up their sleeves to help others, and today, they will have that opportunity with plasma donation, and next year, further changes which will enable them to donate blood and platelet products as well,” he said.
Hayley Teasdale is a recipient of plasma. A rare primary immune deficiency has meant she has to take two vials of plasma every week to boost her immune system. She said these rule changes were a huge moment.
“It’s incredibly moving. I think this is a really important moment for this community, but also that you know that science is coming through in these new rules to have more people able to donate blood and plasma,” she said.
Ms Teasdale thanked Mr Steel for his donation, which she said allowed her to live a normal life.
“Any opportunity I have to thank a donor is worth it. It’s so important that people who are donating plasma get to see it’s not just a nice thing to do. It changes lives, it saves lives. And to be able to say thank you to the people doing that is so important to me, and I’ll do it every single time that I get the call,” said Ms Teasdale.
Not as good as the milkshakes he makes at home, but still a good drink, according to Chris Steel. Hayley Teasdale (left), whose autoimmune disorder means she needs regular plasma injections, thanked Mr Steel for his donation. Photo: Nicholas Ward.
For people who donate, Lifeblood has food, drink, and even a small aquarium on hand to make the process as smooth as possible. A donor favourite, according to the non-profit, is the milkshake bar. Mr Steel ordered himself a chocolate shake to mark the occasion.
“I haven’t donated blood in a few decades, so this is going to be an interesting experience. There’s a few surveys I need to fill in and an interview before I get underway. It does take around 90 minutes to donate plasma the first time you come in, but anytime after that, around an hour,” Mr Steel said.
Current blood supply levels are mostly at good levels in Canberra, according to the group, though the city does need a higher supply of O- and O+.
ACT blood supply chart on 14 July from Lifeblood. Photo: Lifeblood.
The donation rule changes are part of a wider move towards gender-neutral assessments when donating blood. Restrictions remain in place at the moment on donations for blood and platelets, but these rules are also scheduled to change next year.
Per capita, Canberra has some of the highest donation rates in Australia.
To find out how to give blood, more information can be found on the Lifeblood website.
