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. Antarctica (1)
  2. Antarctica

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.

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. North America (1)
  2. Turks and Caicos Islands
  3. Oceania (1)
  4. Tokelau

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