▸ 

Blood donations by MSMs

Men who have sex with men are banned from donating blood in 60 countries.

Loading map of LGBT rights...
  • 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
60
Illegal
60 regions (26%)
Illegal
26
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
26 regions (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
46%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
24 regions (46%)
Illegal
24 regions (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (8%)
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
86%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
12 regions (86%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (14%)
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
76%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
45 regions (76%)
Illegal
5 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 regions (15%)
Asia
41%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
19 regions (41%)
Illegal
19 regions (41%)
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 (19)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Cambodia
  4. Indonesia
  5. Israel 2018
  6. Jordan
  7. Kazakhstan
  8. Kuwait
  9. Kyrgyzstan
  10. Laos
  11. Maldives
  12. Mongolia
  13. Oman
  14. Qatar 1915
  15. Syria
  16. Tajikistan
  17. Turkmenistan
  18. Uzbekistan
  19. Vietnam
  20. Yemen
  21. Europe (24)
  22. Albania 2008
  23. Andorra 2011
  24. Azerbaijan
  25. Belarus
  26. Bulgaria
  27. France 2022
  28. Georgia 2017
  29. Greece 2022
  30. Hungary 2020
  31. Italy 2001
  32. Latvia
  33. Liechtenstein
  34. Lithuania
  35. Monaco
  36. Netherlands 2021
  37. North Macedonia
  38. Poland
  39. Portugal 2010
  40. Russia 2008
  41. San Marino 1958
  42. Spain 1976
  43. Ukraine 2016
  44. United Kingdom 2021
  45. Vatican City
  46. North America (30)
  47. Anguilla 2011
  48. Antigua and Barbuda
  49. Aruba
  50. Bahamas
  51. Barbados
  52. Belize
  53. Bermuda
  54. Canada 2022
  55. Cayman Islands
  56. Costa Rica
  57. Cuba 1979
  58. Curaçao
  59. Dominica
  60. Dominican Republic
  61. El Salvador 2000
  62. Grenada 2012
  63. Guadeloupe
  64. Guatemala
  65. Haiti
  66. Honduras
  67. Jamaica
  68. Martinique 2016
  69. Mexico 2012
  70. Nicaragua
  71. Panama
  72. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  73. Saint Lucia
  74. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  75. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  76. Sint Maarten
  77. Africa (45)
  78. Angola
  79. Benin
  80. Botswana
  81. Burkina Faso
  82. Burundi
  83. Cameroon
  84. Chad
  85. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  86. Djibouti 2011
  87. Equatorial Guinea
  88. Eswatini
  89. Gabon
  90. Ghana
  91. Guinea
  92. Guinea-Bissau
  93. Kenya
  94. Lesotho
  95. Liberia
  96. Madagascar
  97. Malawi
  98. Mali
  99. Mauritania
  100. Mauritius
  101. Mayotte 2016
  102. Morocco
  103. Mozambique
  104. Namibia
  105. Niger 2008
  106. Nigeria
  107. Republic of the Congo
  108. Réunion
  109. Rwanda
  110. Sao Tome and Principe
  111. Senegal
  112. Seychelles
  113. Sierra Leone
  114. Somalia
  115. South Africa 2014
  116. South Sudan
  117. Tanzania
  118. Togo
  119. Tunisia 1957
  120. Western Sahara
  121. Zambia
  122. Zimbabwe
  123. Oceania (16)
  124. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  125. Cook Islands
  126. Federated States of Micronesia
  127. Fiji
  128. French Polynesia
  129. Kiribati
  130. Marshall Islands
  131. Nauru
  132. New Caledonia
  133. Niue
  134. Palau
  135. Papua New Guinea 2016
  136. Solomon Islands
  137. Tonga
  138. Tuvalu
  139. Vanuatu
  140. South America (12)
  141. Argentina 2015
  142. Bolivia 2019
  143. Brazil 2020
  144. Chile 2013
  145. Colombia 2012
  146. French Guiana
  147. Guyana
  148. Paraguay
  149. Peru
  150. Suriname
  151. Uruguay
  152. Venezuela 2017

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (indefinite deferral) in 33 regions.

  1. Asia (13)
  2. Brunei
  3. China 2012
  4. Iran
  5. Lebanon
  6. Malaysia 2016
  7. Myanmar
  8. Palestine
  9. Philippines
  10. Saudi Arabia
  11. Sri Lanka
  12. Taiwan 2001
  13. Thailand 1977
  14. Timor-Leste
  15. Europe (11)
  16. Austria
  17. Croatia 1998
  18. Estonia
  19. Faroe Islands
  20. Isle of Man
  21. Kosovo
  22. Moldova
  23. Montenegro
  24. Romania
  25. Slovenia
  26. Turkey 1980
  27. North America (3)
  28. British Virgin Islands
  29. Montserrat
  30. Trinidad and Tobago
  31. Africa (5)
  32. Algeria
  33. Comoros
  34. Eritrea 1957
  35. Gambia
  36. Libya
  37. Oceania (1)
  38. Pitcairn Islands

Banned (1-year deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (1-year deferral) in 19 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Hong Kong
  3. Iraq
  4. Macau
  5. Nepal
  6. South Korea
  7. Europe (10)
  8. Belgium 2017
  9. Czech Republic
  10. Finland 2014
  11. Ireland 2017
  12. Luxembourg
  13. Malta 2019
  14. Norway 2017
  15. Slovakia
  16. Sweden 2013
  17. Switzerland 2017
  18. Oceania (4)
  19. Christmas Island
  20. Norfolk Island
  21. Samoa
  22. Wallis and Futuna

Banned (6-month deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (6-month deferral) in 3 regions.

  1. Asia (1)
  2. Japan 2011
  3. Europe (1)
  4. Serbia
  5. North America (1)
  6. Greenland

Banned (3-month deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (3-month deferral) in 5 regions.

  1. Europe (2)
  2. Germany 2021
  3. Iceland 2022
  4. North America (1)
  5. United States 2020
  6. Oceania (2)
  7. Australia 2021
  8. New Zealand 2020

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

Data on blood donations by msms is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 26 regions.

  1. Asia (8)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bahrain
  4. Bangladesh
  5. India
  6. North Korea
  7. Pakistan
  8. Singapore
  9. United Arab Emirates
  10. Europe (4)
  11. Armenia
  12. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  13. Cyprus
  14. Denmark
  15. North America (1)
  16. Turks and Caicos Islands
  17. Africa (9)
  18. British Indian Ocean Territory
  19. Cape Verde
  20. Central African Republic
  21. Côte d’Ivoire
  22. Egypt
  23. Ethiopia
  24. Saint Helena
  25. Sudan
  26. Uganda
  27. Oceania (1)
  28. Tokelau
  29. South America (2)
  30. Ecuador
  31. Falkland Islands
  32. Antarctica (1)
  33. Antarctica

Spot an error? Visit the region and select "Accurate?: No" so Equaldex's editors can review it.