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Find a Blood Drive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) updated guidance has made the blood donation process more inclusive for many, including individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. These new guidelines are a progressive step forward, but they can also lead to more questions. To help you navigate these new eligibility guidelines, we’ve provided answers to the top 10 most common questions. Knowledge is power and knowing your eligibility status can empower you to schedule your next appointment and help patients in need.
Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment guidance, there are no eligibility criteria related to men who have sex with men. This means that gay, bisexual and same gender loving men are no longer deferred based on sexual orientation. Every donor, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, will fill out an individual donor assessment that asks health history questions based on past and current behavior (for example: travel, medication or sexual activity). Sexual activity questions are based on specific behaviors that may potentially increase risk of exposure to HIV, not on sexual orientation.
Prospective donors will not be asked if they are monogamous or in a monogamous relationship. Under the new guidance, all prospective donors are asked the same set of questions about new or multiple sexual partners. New or multiple sexual partners in the last three months does not automatically result in a deferral. However, those who report having new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, and also anal sex during that timeframe, will be asked to wait three months to donate blood from last anal sex contact.
If you have taken a drug to prevent an HIV infection, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP or PEP), you are asked to wait three months from last oral dose and two years from last injection to donate blood. The waiting period is required due to these drugs interfering with viral replication and thus possibly altering the detectability of diagnostic and screening tests for HIV, including extending the window period prior to detectable infection or a delay in producing antibodies.
Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment eligibility criteria, the donor history questionnaire is gender neutral and all donors will answer the same questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This includes sexual behavior questions to assess individual risk factors for potential exposure to HIV. This ensures individuals are assessed for blood donation based on their own personal risk factors and not on sexual orientation. Red Cross is committed to achieving further progress and will continue to provide data to the FDA in support of making blood donation even more inclusive.
The individual donor assessment is designed to identify a potential increased risk of exposure to HIV. All prospective donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months. Those who answer yes will be asked if they also had anal sex during that time frame. Those who answer yes to having new or multiple partners and also anal sex will be asked to wait three months from last anal sex contact. Those who answer no to having new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months will not be asked about anal sex and may be eligible to donate if all other eligibility criteria are met. Anal sex does not result in deferral from blood donation if you have not had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months.
It will also ask about the use of HIV preventative medications such as PrEP or PEP due to their potential to interfere with HIV testing – if you take PrEP or PEP, you will need to wait three months from last oral dose or two years from last injection.
There are no donor eligibility criteria related to being transgender. Donors can report the gender with which they identify at the time of donation.
Red Cross staff members are required to verbally confirm demographic information, including gender, with all presenting donors. This step helps ensure donor safety and accuracy of records. If Red Cross records have the incorrect gender, prospective donors may ask staff members to make the change upon registration. Individuals do not need to tell staff that they are transgender. Individuals with specific questions about eligibility can contact the Red Cross Donor and Client Support Center at 1-866-236-3276.
We recognize that some people may be in sexual relationships with multiple people where their partners are not new partners. Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment guidance, people with multiple sexual partners who have engaged in anal sex with one or more partners in the last three months will be required to wait three months from last anal sex contact to donate.
According to the FDA, condom use, while a good sexual health practice, isn’t an evidence-based method of screening donors because condoms are not always effective and can break or slip. We also know from research that questions about condom use are less reliably answered because people don't always recall accurately.
Under FDA’s individual donor assessment, the MSM policy has been eliminated.
The FDA and the Red Cross share the same goal – ensuring the safety of the blood supply. These changes could not have been made without rigorous scientific review and confidence that the blood supply would continue to be safe for all recipients.
For more information about becoming a blood donor, check out this page. And, if you’d like to learn more about general blood donation guidelines, see our Eligibility Requirements page.