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Blood donations by MSMs

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

148
Legal
148 regions (64%)
Legal
60
Illegal
60 regions (26%)
Illegal
24
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
24 regions (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
60%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
31 regions (60%)
Illegal
19 regions (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (4%)
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
71%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
42 regions (71%)
Illegal
7 regions (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 regions (17%)
Asia
35%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
16 regions (35%)
Illegal
21 regions (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 regions (20%)

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 148 regions.

  1. Asia (16)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Cambodia
  4. Indonesia
  5. Israel 2018
  6. Jordan
  7. Kazakhstan
  8. Kuwait
  9. Kyrgyzstan
  10. Maldives
  11. Mongolia
  12. Qatar 1915
  13. Saudi Arabia 1932
  14. Syria
  15. Turkmenistan
  16. Uzbekistan
  17. Vietnam
  18. Europe (31)
  19. Albania 2008
  20. Andorra 2011
  21. Armenia
  22. Austria 2022
  23. Azerbaijan
  24. Belarus
  25. Bulgaria
  26. France 2022
  27. Georgia 2017
  28. Germany 2021
  29. Greece 2022
  30. Hungary 2020
  31. Ireland 2022
  32. Italy 2001
  33. Latvia
  34. Liechtenstein
  35. Lithuania 2022
  36. Monaco
  37. Montenegro
  38. Netherlands 2021
  39. North Macedonia
  40. Poland
  41. Portugal 2010
  42. Romania 2008
  43. Russia 2008
  44. San Marino 1958
  45. Slovenia 2022
  46. Spain 1976
  47. Ukraine 2016
  48. United Kingdom 2021
  49. Vatican City
  50. North America (30)
  51. Anguilla 2011
  52. Antigua and Barbuda
  53. Aruba
  54. Bahamas
  55. Barbados
  56. Belize
  57. Bermuda
  58. Canada 2022
  59. Cayman Islands
  60. Costa Rica
  61. Cuba 1979
  62. Curaçao
  63. Dominica
  64. Dominican Republic
  65. El Salvador 2000
  66. Grenada 2012
  67. Guadeloupe
  68. Guatemala
  69. Haiti
  70. Honduras
  71. Jamaica
  72. Martinique 2016
  73. Mexico 2012
  74. Nicaragua
  75. Panama
  76. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  77. Saint Lucia
  78. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  79. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  80. Sint Maarten
  81. Africa (42)
  82. Angola
  83. Benin
  84. Botswana
  85. Burkina Faso
  86. Burundi
  87. Cameroon
  88. Chad
  89. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  90. Equatorial Guinea
  91. Eswatini
  92. Gabon
  93. Ghana
  94. Guinea
  95. Guinea-Bissau
  96. Kenya
  97. Lesotho
  98. Liberia
  99. Madagascar
  100. Malawi
  101. Mali
  102. Mauritius
  103. Mayotte 2016
  104. Morocco
  105. Mozambique
  106. Namibia
  107. Niger 2008
  108. Nigeria
  109. Republic of the Congo
  110. Réunion
  111. Rwanda
  112. Sao Tome and Principe
  113. Senegal
  114. Seychelles
  115. Sierra Leone
  116. South Africa 2014
  117. South Sudan
  118. Tanzania
  119. Togo
  120. Tunisia 1957
  121. Western Sahara
  122. Zambia
  123. Zimbabwe
  124. Oceania (16)
  125. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  126. Cook Islands
  127. Federated States of Micronesia
  128. Fiji
  129. French Polynesia
  130. Kiribati
  131. Marshall Islands
  132. Nauru
  133. New Caledonia
  134. Niue
  135. Palau
  136. Papua New Guinea 2016
  137. Solomon Islands
  138. Tonga
  139. Tuvalu
  140. Vanuatu
  141. South America (13)
  142. Argentina 2015
  143. Bolivia 2019
  144. Brazil 2020
  145. Chile 2013
  146. Colombia 2012
  147. Ecuador
  148. French Guiana
  149. Guyana
  150. Paraguay
  151. Peru
  152. Suriname
  153. Uruguay 2020
  154. Venezuela 2017

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (indefinite deferral) in 30 regions.

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

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Hong Kong 2017
  3. Iraq
  4. Macau
  5. Nepal
  6. South Korea
  7. Europe (7)
  8. Belgium 2017
  9. Czech Republic
  10. Luxembourg
  11. Malta 2019
  12. Norway 2017
  13. Slovakia
  14. Switzerland 2017
  15. Oceania (4)
  16. Christmas Island
  17. Norfolk Island
  18. Samoa
  19. 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 (2)
  4. Serbia
  5. Sweden 2021

Banned (3-month deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (3-month deferral) in 10 regions.

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

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

Data on blood donations by msms is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 24 regions.

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

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