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Blood donations by MSMs

Men who have sex with men are banned from donating blood in 56 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
56
Illegal
56 regions (24%)
Illegal
28
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
28 regions (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
44%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (44%)
Illegal
25 regions (48%)
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
81%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
29 regions (81%)
Illegal
5 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (6%)
Africa
80%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
47 regions (80%)
Illegal
3 regions (5%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 regions (15%)
Asia
46%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
21 regions (46%)
Illegal
16 regions (35%)
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 (21)
  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. Syria
  18. Tajikistan
  19. Turkmenistan
  20. Uzbekistan
  21. Vietnam
  22. Yemen
  23. Europe (23)
  24. Albania 2008
  25. Andorra 2011
  26. Azerbaijan
  27. Belarus
  28. Bulgaria
  29. Georgia 2017
  30. Greece 2022
  31. Hungary 2020
  32. Italy 2001
  33. Latvia
  34. Liechtenstein
  35. Lithuania
  36. Monaco
  37. Netherlands 2021
  38. North Macedonia
  39. Poland
  40. Portugal 2010
  41. Russia 2008
  42. San Marino 1958
  43. Spain 1976
  44. Ukraine 2016
  45. United Kingdom 2021
  46. Vatican City
  47. North America (29)
  48. Anguilla 2011
  49. Antigua and Barbuda
  50. Aruba
  51. Bahamas
  52. Barbados
  53. Belize
  54. Bermuda
  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 (47)
  78. Angola
  79. Benin
  80. Botswana
  81. Burkina Faso
  82. Burundi
  83. Cameroon
  84. Chad
  85. Comoros
  86. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  87. Djibouti 2011
  88. Equatorial Guinea
  89. Eswatini
  90. Gabon
  91. Ghana
  92. Guinea
  93. Guinea-Bissau
  94. Kenya
  95. Lesotho
  96. Liberia
  97. Libya
  98. Madagascar
  99. Malawi
  100. Mali
  101. Mauritania
  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. Somalia
  117. South Africa 2014
  118. South Sudan
  119. Tanzania
  120. Togo
  121. Tunisia 1957
  122. Western Sahara
  123. Zambia
  124. Zimbabwe
  125. Oceania (16)
  126. Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  127. Cook Islands
  128. Federated States of Micronesia
  129. Fiji
  130. French Polynesia
  131. Kiribati
  132. Marshall Islands
  133. Nauru
  134. New Caledonia
  135. Niue
  136. Palau
  137. Papua New Guinea 2016
  138. Solomon Islands
  139. Tonga
  140. Tuvalu
  141. Vanuatu
  142. South America (12)
  143. Argentina 2015
  144. Bolivia 2019
  145. Brazil 2020
  146. Chile 2013
  147. Colombia 2012
  148. French Guiana
  149. Guyana
  150. Paraguay
  151. Peru
  152. Suriname
  153. Uruguay
  154. Venezuela 2017

Banned (indefinite deferral)

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

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

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 (11)
  8. Belgium 2017
  9. Czech Republic
  10. Finland 2014
  11. Germany 2017
  12. Ireland 2017
  13. Luxembourg
  14. Malta 2019
  15. Norway 2017
  16. Slovakia
  17. Sweden 2013
  18. Switzerland 2017
  19. Oceania (4)
  20. Christmas Island
  21. Norfolk Island
  22. Samoa
  23. 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 6 regions.

  1. Europe (2)
  2. France 2020
  3. Iceland 2021
  4. North America (2)
  5. Canada 2019
  6. United States 2020
  7. Oceania (2)
  8. Australia 2021
  9. New Zealand 2020

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

Data on blood donations by msms is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 28 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 (4)
  12. Armenia
  13. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  14. Cyprus
  15. Denmark
  16. North America (2)
  17. British Virgin Islands
  18. Turks and Caicos Islands
  19. Africa (9)
  20. British Indian Ocean Territory
  21. Cape Verde
  22. Central African Republic
  23. Côte d’Ivoire
  24. Egypt
  25. Ethiopia
  26. Saint Helena
  27. Sudan
  28. Uganda
  29. Oceania (1)
  30. Tokelau
  31. South America (2)
  32. Ecuador
  33. Falkland Islands
  34. Antarctica (1)
  35. Antarctica

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