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Good morning! I’ll be on @abcmelbourne around 7:10 this morning to discuss the new blood donation rules for gay/bi men and trans people who have sex with men. 
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/new-australian-blood-donation-rules-for-gay-men-dont-go-far-enough-advocates-say/news-story/c1d771e5f50ab22e2864d39e133d4b09
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/new-australian-blood-donation-rules-for-gay-men-dont-go-far-enough-advocates-say/news-story/c1d771e5f50ab22e2864d39e133d4b09
*gay/bi cis men
Thread on the changes from 12-month deferral to 3-month deferral:
1. It’s really promising to see TGA and other organisations make decisions based on the *actual* science of HIV transmission, testing, and risk. Not the outdated fears of the 80s and 90s.
1. It’s really promising to see TGA and other organisations make decisions based on the *actual* science of HIV transmission, testing, and risk. Not the outdated fears of the 80s and 90s.
Lots of HIV neg gay men resent that they can't donate blood (unless they abstain from sex for 3 months), as they feel they are being discriminated against. It is unfair that we have been so targeted, as a community, by #HIV. I can't wait for when that is no longer the case.
The blood deferral policy is literally discriminatory, based on all-of-population level data. This is what public health is about, the big picture stuff that sadly doesn't much care about your personal feelings. But that crashes head-on with our sense of individualism/identity.
Which for some HIV negative gay men seems to be a hard pill to swallow. Harder than PrEP, it seems.
In 2019, 59% of HIV notifications were attributed to sexual contact between men.
We are still the community with the highest rates of new HIV notifications.
In 2019, 59% of HIV notifications were attributed to sexual contact between men.
We are still the community with the highest rates of new HIV notifications.
Some HIV neg gay men are calling for blood donations to be assessed by risk, not identity. There are myriad issues with this, mainly because you heterosexuals do love your condomless sex.
If HIV negative gay and bi men really want to be able to donate blood, we need to end HIV transmissions in Australia. And that will take more than just going on PrEP so you personally can have the sort of sex you want.
It means playing active roles in our community to challenge stigma, ignorance, and misinformation. Calling out your serophobic friends, and encourage people to get tested and treated if they test positive. Fighting for ALL the communities disproportionately impacted by HIV.
The good news is, we are getting closer than we've ever been to ending HIV in Australia. Today's blood donation changes signal that. 
