▸ 

Blood donations by MSMs

Men who have sex with men are banned from donating blood in 54 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

144
Legal
144 regions (62%)
Legal
54
Illegal
54 regions (23%)
Illegal
34
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
34 regions (15%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
39%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
20 regions (39%)
Illegal
24 regions (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (15%)
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
79%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
11 regions (79%)
Illegal
1 regions (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (14%)
North America
81%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
29 regions (81%)
Illegal
5 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (6%)
Africa
78%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
46 regions (78%)
Illegal
2 regions (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 regions (19%)
Asia
48%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
22 regions (48%)
Illegal
15 regions (33%)
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 144 regions.

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

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (indefinite deferral) in 27 regions.

  1. Asia (9)
  2. Brunei
  3. China 2012
  4. Iran
  5. Lebanon
  6. Malaysia 2016
  7. Philippines
  8. Taiwan 2001
  9. Thailand 1977
  10. Timor-Leste
  11. Europe (13)
  12. Austria
  13. Croatia 1998
  14. Estonia
  15. Faroe Islands
  16. Iceland
  17. Isle of Man
  18. Kosovo
  19. Malta
  20. Moldova
  21. Montenegro
  22. Romania
  23. Slovenia
  24. Turkey 1980
  25. North America (2)
  26. Montserrat
  27. Trinidad and Tobago
  28. Africa (1)
  29. Eritrea 1957
  30. Oceania (1)
  31. Pitcairn Islands
  32. South America (1)
  33. Bolivia 1997

Banned (1-year deferral)

Blood donations by MSMs is banned (1-year deferral) in 20 regions.

  1. Asia (5)
  2. Hong Kong
  3. Iraq
  4. Macau
  5. Nepal
  6. South Korea
  7. Europe (9)
  8. Belgium 2017
  9. Czech Republic
  10. Finland 2014
  11. Germany 2017
  12. Ireland 2017
  13. Norway 2017
  14. Slovakia
  15. Sweden 2013
  16. Switzerland 2017
  17. North America (1)
  18. United States 2015
  19. Oceania (5)
  20. Christmas Island
  21. New Zealand 2014
  22. Norfolk Island
  23. Samoa
  24. 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 (1)
  4. Serbia
  5. North America (1)
  6. Greenland
  7. Africa (1)
  8. South Africa 2014

Banned (3-month deferral)

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

  1. Europe (1)
  2. France 2020
  3. North America (1)
  4. Canada 2019
  5. Oceania (1)
  6. Australia 2021

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

Data on blood donations by msms is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 34 regions.

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

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