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Blood donations by MSMs

Men who have sex with men are banned from donating blood in 65 countries.

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  • Legal
  • Banned (indefinite deferral)
  • Banned (5-year deferral)
  • Banned (1-year deferral)
  • Banned (6-month deferral)
  • Banned (3-month deferral)
  • Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous

Recent Changes

Blood donations by MSMs

The ability for MSMs (men who have sex with men) to donate blood or tissue for organ transplants. A deferral period refers to a waiting time before a man can donate after having sex.

Summary

146
Legal
146 regions (63%)
Legal
65
Illegal
65 regions (28%)
Illegal
21
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
21 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
62%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
32 regions (62%)
Illegal
19 regions (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
67%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
16 regions (67%)
Illegal
7 regions (29%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
South America
93%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
13 regions (93%)
Illegal
1 regions (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
North America
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
30 regions (83%)
Illegal
5 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (3%)
Africa
68%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
40 regions (68%)
Illegal
9 regions (15%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 regions (17%)
Asia
30%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
14 regions (30%)
Illegal
24 regions (52%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (17%)

Progress over time

Number of countries with equality for blood donations by msms over the past 60 years.

Recent changes

Blood donations by MSMs by country

(and dependent territories)

Legal

Blood donations by MSMs is legal in 146 regions.

  1. Asia (14)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Cambodia
  4. Israel 2018
  5. Jordan
  6. Kazakhstan
  7. Kuwait
  8. Kyrgyzstan
  9. Laos
  10. Maldives
  11. Mongolia
  12. Syria
  13. Turkmenistan
  14. Uzbekistan
  15. Vietnam
  16. Europe (32)
  17. Albania 2008
  18. Andorra 2011
  19. Armenia
  20. Austria 2022
  21. Azerbaijan
  22. Belarus
  23. Bulgaria
  24. France 2022
  25. Georgia 2017
  26. Germany 2023
  27. Greece 2022
  28. Hungary 2020
  29. Ireland 2022
  30. Italy 2001
  31. Latvia
  32. Liechtenstein
  33. Lithuania 2022
  34. Malta 2022
  35. Monaco
  36. Montenegro
  37. Netherlands 2021
  38. North Macedonia
  39. Poland
  40. Portugal 2010
  41. Romania 2008
  42. Russia 2008
  43. San Marino 1958
  44. Slovenia 2022
  45. Spain 1976
  46. Ukraine 2016
  47. United Kingdom 2021
  48. Vatican City
  49. North America (30)
  50. Anguilla 2011
  51. Antigua and Barbuda
  52. Aruba
  53. Bahamas
  54. Barbados
  55. Belize
  56. Bermuda
  57. Canada 2022
  58. Cayman Islands
  59. Costa Rica
  60. Cuba 1979
  61. Curaçao
  62. Dominica
  63. Dominican Republic
  64. El Salvador 2000
  65. Grenada 2012
  66. Guadeloupe
  67. Guatemala
  68. Haiti
  69. Honduras
  70. Jamaica
  71. Martinique 2016
  72. Mexico 2012
  73. Nicaragua
  74. Panama
  75. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  76. Saint Lucia
  77. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  78. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  79. Sint Maarten
  80. Africa (40)
  81. Angola
  82. Benin
  83. Botswana
  84. Burkina Faso
  85. Burundi
  86. Cameroon
  87. Chad
  88. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  89. Equatorial Guinea
  90. Eswatini
  91. Gabon
  92. Guinea
  93. Guinea-Bissau
  94. Kenya
  95. Lesotho
  96. Liberia
  97. Madagascar
  98. Malawi
  99. Mali
  100. Mauritius
  101. Mayotte 2016
  102. Morocco
  103. Mozambique
  104. Namibia
  105. Niger 2008
  106. Republic of the Congo
  107. Réunion
  108. Rwanda
  109. Sao Tome and Principe
  110. Senegal
  111. Seychelles
  112. Sierra Leone
  113. South Africa 2014
  114. South Sudan
  115. Tanzania
  116. Togo
  117. Tunisia 1957
  118. Western Sahara
  119. Zambia
  120. Zimbabwe
  121. Oceania (16)
  122. Cocos
  123. Cook Islands
  124. Federated States of Micronesia
  125. Fiji
  126. French Polynesia
  127. Kiribati
  128. Marshall Islands
  129. Nauru
  130. New Caledonia
  131. Niue
  132. Palau
  133. Papua New Guinea 2016
  134. Solomon Islands
  135. Tonga
  136. Tuvalu
  137. Vanuatu
  138. South America (13)
  139. Argentina 2015
  140. Bolivia 2019
  141. Brazil 2020
  142. Chile 2013
  143. Colombia 2012
  144. Ecuador
  145. French Guiana
  146. Guyana
  147. Paraguay
  148. Peru
  149. Suriname
  150. Uruguay 2020
  151. Venezuela 2017
  152. Antarctica (1)
  153. Antarctica

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (indefinite deferral) in 35 regions.

  1. Asia (17)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Brunei
  4. China 2012
  5. India 2017
  6. Lebanon
  7. Malaysia 2016
  8. Myanmar
  9. Oman
  10. Pakistan
  11. Palestine
  12. Philippines
  13. Saudi Arabia 1932
  14. Singapore
  15. Sri Lanka
  16. Tajikistan
  17. Thailand 1977
  18. Timor-Leste
  19. Europe (6)
  20. Croatia 1998
  21. Faroe Islands
  22. Isle of Man
  23. Kosovo
  24. Moldova
  25. Turkey 1980
  26. North America (3)
  27. British Virgin Islands
  28. Montserrat
  29. Trinidad and Tobago
  30. Africa (8)
  31. Algeria
  32. Central African Republic
  33. Comoros
  34. Egypt
  35. Eritrea 1957
  36. Gambia
  37. Ghana
  38. Libya
  39. Oceania (1)
  40. Pitcairn Islands

Banned (5-year deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (5-year deferral) in 1 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Taiwan 2018

Banned (1-year deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (1-year deferral) in 14 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Hong Kong 2017
  3. Iraq
  4. Macau
  5. Nepal
  6. South Korea
  7. Europe (5)
  8. Czech Republic
  9. Luxembourg
  10. Norway 2017
  11. Slovakia
  12. Switzerland 2017
  13. Oceania (4)
  14. Christmas Island
  15. Norfolk Island
  16. Samoa
  17. Wallis and Futuna

Banned (6-month deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (6-month deferral) in 4 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Japan 2011
  3. Europe (3)
  4. Cyprus 2022
  5. Serbia
  6. Sweden 2021

Banned (3-month deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (3-month deferral) in 11 regions.

  1. Europe (5)
  2. Belgium 2023
  3. Denmark 2020
  4. Estonia 2021
  5. Finland 2021
  6. Iceland 2022
  7. North America (2)
  8. Greenland 2020
  9. United States 2020
  10. Africa (1)
  11. Saint Helena
  12. Oceania (2)
  13. Australia 2021
  14. New Zealand 2020
  15. South America (1)
  16. Falkland Islands 2011

No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous

Data on blood donations by msms is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 21 regions.

  1. Asia (8)
  2. Bahrain
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Indonesia
  5. Iran
  6. North Korea
  7. Qatar
  8. United Arab Emirates
  9. Yemen
  10. Europe (1)
  11. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  12. North America (1)
  13. Turks and Caicos Islands
  14. Africa (10)
  15. British Indian Ocean Territory
  16. Cape Verde
  17. Côte d’Ivoire
  18. Djibouti
  19. Ethiopia
  20. Mauritania
  21. Nigeria
  22. Somalia
  23. Sudan
  24. Uganda
  25. Oceania (1)
  26. Tokelau

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