Sexual activity - Is there any kind of sexual activity that will affect my ability to donate blood?
If you have any reason to believe you may have acquired an infection through unprotected sex, you should not donate.
Safe sex practices are vital to the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. However, 'protected sex' is not 100% effective and therefore the Australian Red Cross Blood Service's guidelines relating to sexual activity are based on the prevalence of infection in certain population groups.
The following questions are asked in regard to sexual activity:
- Have you ever thought you could be infected with HIV or have AIDS?
- In the last 12 months have you engaged in sexual activity with someone who you think might answer yes to any of the questions on the use of drugs, partner with HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HTLV, or treatment with clotting factors?
- Since your last donation or in the last 12 months have you had sexual activity with a new partner who currently lives or has previously lived overseas?
Within the past twelve months have you:
- Had male to male sex?
- Had sexual activity with a male who you think might be bisexual?
- Been a male or female sex worker (e.g. received payment for sex in money, gifts or drugs?)
- Engaged in sex with a male or female sex worker?
If the answer is 'yes' to any of the above questions, then a 12 month deferral is applied.
Note: Any person who has resided in the UK between 1980 and 1996 for a total (cumulative) time of 6 months or more, is permanently deferred from donating blood due to the risk of being infected with the Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) (mad cow disease).
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