Latest news with #Lifeblood
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Blood donation eligibility rules change
Over the past few months, Lifeblood has announced a series of changes around who can donate blood. In June, it changed the rules around gay and bi-sexual men's eligibility to donate blood and plasma. Now, those in remission from cancer no longer have to wait five years to donate.
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Major changes to blood and plasma donation rules announced for cancer survivors
Many cancer survivors will now be able to donate blood just 12 months after treatment, a significant drop from the original five-year wait time. The latest major rule change announced by Lifeblood comes after June's update that made it easier for gay and bisexual men to donate. A survey by the Kirby Institute of UNSW found more than half (54 per cent) of the population believed having cancer made them ineligible to give blood for life, while another 28 per cent were unsure. Lifeblood said this change, approved by the Therapeutic Good Association (TGA), will hopefully alter this misconception. Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone said the change would provide a greater opportunity for those who have had cancer to be able to give back. 'Cancer patients are the largest users of blood in Australia, they need 11,000 donations each week,' she said. 'Many cancer survivors have relied on blood transfusions and plasma medicines during chemotherapy or surgery, and we know many are eager to give back.' According to Lifeblood, 34 per cent of donated blood currently goes to people with cancer and blood diseases. Chemotherapy can deplete the body of platelets, an important clotting component in blood that helps prevent internal bleeding. Red blood cell infusions are also needed while bone marrow recovers and any surgery to remove cancer may also result in the need for infusions. A patient with acute leukaemia can use up to nine bags of platelets each month, with four donors needed to make each bag. Cancer also has a big impact on the immune system, making patients vulnerable to infections and needing plasma infusions. It is estimated more than 450 Australians will be diagnosed with blood cancer each day, with this number projected to double by 2035. Research by Lifeblood has found the previous five-year wait for cancer patients to donate can be safely reduced, with large-scale international studies having confirmed cancer is not transmissible through blood transfusion. 'As we see the number of cancer diagnoses increasing, we're also seeing an increase in the demand for blood to help cancer patients through their treatment,' Stone said. 'Supporting people with cancer is one of the greatest reasons to donate.'
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Cancer survivors now able to donate blood one year after their last treatment in eligibility shake-up
Survivors of some types of cancers will be able to donate blood and plasma one year after completing treatment, in changes to donation eligibility announced on Tuesday. Previously, former cancer patients had to wait five years after their last treatment before they could donate. Under the new rules, cancer survivors wishing to donate can donate after just one year as long as they have a doctor's note confirming they are in remission and meet other health criteria. "Cancer is not transmissible through blood transfusions, so we're able to safely reduce that wait time down from five years down to 12 months," Australian Red Cross Lifeblood spokesperson Zoe Ross said. People who have had blood cancer are not included in the eligibility change, and still cannot donate. Cancer patients are Australia's largest group of donated blood recipients, often relying on blood transfusions and plasma medicines while undergoing chemotherapy or surgery. Four donors are required to create one bag of platelets, and a patient with acute leukaemia can use up to nine bags of platelets a month. About 11,000 blood donations are used by cancer patients every week, and Ms Ross said once they enter remission, many survivors are often eager to roll up their sleeves. "The community is really receiving this [change] well and looking forward to the opportunity to be able to give back and help make a difference for something they've gone through themselves," Ms Ross said. Hayley Butler was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer in 2020, the day before her daughter's fifth birthday, and underwent 25 rounds of radiation. She developed an infection, and after that was drained, doctors discovered Ms Butler had a series of tumours along her spine. A significant part of her inner pelvic area and tailbone was surgically removed, and she now has a permanent stoma. During the nearly 12-hour surgery, she relied on donated blood, plasma and platelets. Ms Butler's family has also relied heavily on donations in the past — she's lost her mum, dad, sister-in-law and father-in-law to cancer. "It was particularly important for my father, he was having bags of platelets every second day, and it takes four donors to get one bag," she said. "But that gave me an opportunity to have conversations with my dad and a bit of healing before he passed, so it prolonged life." Now, Ms Butler's planning to roll up her sleeve to give back. "It's really exciting that the eligibility has changed, particularly for me as a cancer survivor," she said. "It's a bit of a milestone for me because it's now an opportunity for me to give back to an industry that saved my life." The eligibility change for cancer survivors comes a fortnight after restrictions on part of the LGBTQIA+ community and sex workers were loosened, removing most of the bans on donating plasma related to sexual activity. In 2022, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood also ended the ban on donations from people who lived in the UK during the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. Red Cross Lifeblood executive director Cath Stone said there's a record-high demand on the country's blood supply. Lifeblood estimates more than 450 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer every day, a figure which is projected to double by 2035. "As we see the number of cancer diagnoses increasing, we're also seeing an increase in the demand for blood to help cancer patients through their treatment," Ms Stone said.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Bloody Good Tour aims to save lives and beat blood donation record
Simon Braun is out for blood. Quite literally. The father of three has spent the past year driving around the country with his kids, visiting the nearly 80 Lifeblood centres across Australia. "Simmo" said he hoped to enlist more than 33,000 new blood donations, donating plasma himself about every fortnight. But tens of thousands of kilometres in a caravan, distance education, and regular donations have not drained him. "Donating blood energises me," he said. Donating blood has been a constant bright spot through Mr Braun's challenges. He recalled sitting in the donor chair during a "dark time" in his life, and feeling "genuinely happy" for the first time in a long time. He joined the dots. There have long been barriers to blood donation for many people. This month, Lifeblood relaxed its rules around sexual activity and donation. Gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have sex with men were allowed to donate plasma. Lifeblood said it was working towards similar changes for whole blood and platelet donation. In 2022, people who were in the UK during the "mad cow disease" outbreak were allowed to donate again after a 22-year ban. Lifeblood researcher Rachel Thorpe said while safety for donors and recipients was the priority, the organisation hoped to get as many people as possible in the blood donation chair. "Ultimately we would like more people to be eligible to donate blood," she said. Being in the regions has also stopped people donating, with Lifeblood centres concentrated in cities. WA has no permanent centres north of Perth, and the NT's only permanent centre is in Darwin. There are pop up centres in some regional towns, and Lifeblood also has mobile "blood buses" to allow country people to donate. But ultimately, cities and regional centres have the most potential with 90 per cent of Australians living within half an hour of a donor centre. And for people who could not regularly donate, Dr Thorpe said having people such as Mr Braun start the conversation was a big help. "A lot of people don't really talk about blood donation, it's one of the big barriers to donating blood," she said. Dr Thorpe said common "misunderstandings" often stopped people donating. One of those was people believing they were too old to donate — a myth Dr Thorpe was keen to bust. Australians can be a first-time donor until they are 75, and if they have already donated in the past, there is no upper age limit. Fear of needles has been another common setback. But Mr Braun said that was not necessarily a bad problem to have. "It's actually quite a privilege to be able to, with courage, face your fear head-on," he said. He encouraged nervous donors to keep recipients front of mind. "Maybe that's the five-year-old with leukaemia who doesn't get a choice about whether they get the needle or not," he said. But in the thousands of conversations Mr Braun has had about blood donation in the past year, the common theme was not fear, or lack of information, or distance. It was time. "Everybody's busy these days," he said. "In fact, you ask someone how they are and they say 'busy'." His answer to the dilemma was simple. "A blood donation takes maybe seven minutes with a needle in the arm for whole blood, and you're in and out in half an hour," he said. Mr Braun and his family have been documenting each leg of their journey on The Bloody Good Tour website. The culmination of the tour will be a national record attempt on July 31. Mr Braun will be donating in Sydney, where the tour wraps up. But he has asked people from all over the country to sign up to his donor team, to reach the most donations in a single day by one team. The number to beat is 523: a record set by Commonwealth Bank employees in May. "With a bit of cheek, we can't let a bank hold the record," Mr Braun said.
The Advertiser
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
'Now I can help': Newcastle councillor welcomes Lifeblood changes to donation rules
GROWING up, Newcastle Labor councillor Declan Clausen heard Lifeblood's calls for donors. As a gay man, he wasn't allowed to help. "Not because my blood wasn't safe, but because of outdated rules rooted in stereotypes and stigma," he said. "Being denied the opportunity to help others in need has always felt deeply unfair." As of this week, he can make his first plasma donation after Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most sexual activity wait times for life-saving plasma donations. The change means many gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can now help save lives. For decades, donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months. Cr Clausen has long championed reform, and said the changes introduced this week were a major step forward. "I've always believed that blood donation policies should be based on actual risk, not outdated assumptions tied to identity," he said. "They [the changes] recognise the science, and will finally allow thousands of Australians, including me, to contribute." Plasma, the "liquid gold" part of blood, is the donation type most needed by Australian patients, with treatment for more than 50 medical conditions reliant on its supply. In Newcastle and Maitland alone, about 100 plasma donors are still needed every day, seven days a week. Newcastle Pride committee member Krys Sutton has been in a long-term, committed relationship. Mr Sutton said he was disappointed he could not donate when Lifeblood put the call out, and expected it would take time for trust to be rebuilt with the LGBTQIA+ community. "I think it's something that everyone should do because they can, and it's free," he said. "Once the legislation changes [around blood donations], we can come through and do this, be part of the community and give back. I think that's really important." The new rules mean about 625,000 Australians may become eligible to donate plasma, and Lifeblood expects about 95,000 extra plasma donations will be made each year. The changes mean those on PrEP will become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period. Cr Clausen said what made Australia's system particularly special was that it relied on the generosity of voluntary, unpaid donors. "The need is real, and now that I'm eligible, I'm proud to help," he said. "Once the broader changes to blood donation rules come into effect next year, I absolutely intend to donate blood too. "Donating blood and plasma to help save lives shouldn't depend on who you love. It should depend only on whether you're healthy and willing to give." Over the next 12 months, Lifeblood estimates an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma. Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said patient safety would always be Lifeblood's top priority, and that extensive research and modelling had shown the changes can be implemented without compromising the safety of Australia's blood supply. "While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their life-saving plasma," he said. Lifeblood has made changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approving a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules. The changes, known as gender-neutral assessments, are expected to be introduced next year. Once implemented, all donors will be asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality, and most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood. Lifeblood's chief medical officer, Jo Pink, said its submission to change rules for blood donation included data that showed, for now, a six-month wait was the safest option for Australian patients. Dr Pink said Lifeblood was committed to reviewing the wait as more evidence became available. "There are many steps that Lifeblood needs to take before we can implement the new gender-neutral assessments, including working with state and territory governments to change the donor questionnaire," she said. "We hope to be able to implement this part of the changes next year." To book a donation call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App. GROWING up, Newcastle Labor councillor Declan Clausen heard Lifeblood's calls for donors. As a gay man, he wasn't allowed to help. "Not because my blood wasn't safe, but because of outdated rules rooted in stereotypes and stigma," he said. "Being denied the opportunity to help others in need has always felt deeply unfair." As of this week, he can make his first plasma donation after Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most sexual activity wait times for life-saving plasma donations. The change means many gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can now help save lives. For decades, donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months. Cr Clausen has long championed reform, and said the changes introduced this week were a major step forward. "I've always believed that blood donation policies should be based on actual risk, not outdated assumptions tied to identity," he said. "They [the changes] recognise the science, and will finally allow thousands of Australians, including me, to contribute." Plasma, the "liquid gold" part of blood, is the donation type most needed by Australian patients, with treatment for more than 50 medical conditions reliant on its supply. In Newcastle and Maitland alone, about 100 plasma donors are still needed every day, seven days a week. Newcastle Pride committee member Krys Sutton has been in a long-term, committed relationship. Mr Sutton said he was disappointed he could not donate when Lifeblood put the call out, and expected it would take time for trust to be rebuilt with the LGBTQIA+ community. "I think it's something that everyone should do because they can, and it's free," he said. "Once the legislation changes [around blood donations], we can come through and do this, be part of the community and give back. I think that's really important." The new rules mean about 625,000 Australians may become eligible to donate plasma, and Lifeblood expects about 95,000 extra plasma donations will be made each year. The changes mean those on PrEP will become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period. Cr Clausen said what made Australia's system particularly special was that it relied on the generosity of voluntary, unpaid donors. "The need is real, and now that I'm eligible, I'm proud to help," he said. "Once the broader changes to blood donation rules come into effect next year, I absolutely intend to donate blood too. "Donating blood and plasma to help save lives shouldn't depend on who you love. It should depend only on whether you're healthy and willing to give." Over the next 12 months, Lifeblood estimates an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma. Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said patient safety would always be Lifeblood's top priority, and that extensive research and modelling had shown the changes can be implemented without compromising the safety of Australia's blood supply. "While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their life-saving plasma," he said. Lifeblood has made changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approving a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules. The changes, known as gender-neutral assessments, are expected to be introduced next year. Once implemented, all donors will be asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality, and most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood. Lifeblood's chief medical officer, Jo Pink, said its submission to change rules for blood donation included data that showed, for now, a six-month wait was the safest option for Australian patients. Dr Pink said Lifeblood was committed to reviewing the wait as more evidence became available. "There are many steps that Lifeblood needs to take before we can implement the new gender-neutral assessments, including working with state and territory governments to change the donor questionnaire," she said. "We hope to be able to implement this part of the changes next year." To book a donation call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App. GROWING up, Newcastle Labor councillor Declan Clausen heard Lifeblood's calls for donors. As a gay man, he wasn't allowed to help. "Not because my blood wasn't safe, but because of outdated rules rooted in stereotypes and stigma," he said. "Being denied the opportunity to help others in need has always felt deeply unfair." As of this week, he can make his first plasma donation after Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most sexual activity wait times for life-saving plasma donations. The change means many gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can now help save lives. For decades, donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months. Cr Clausen has long championed reform, and said the changes introduced this week were a major step forward. "I've always believed that blood donation policies should be based on actual risk, not outdated assumptions tied to identity," he said. "They [the changes] recognise the science, and will finally allow thousands of Australians, including me, to contribute." Plasma, the "liquid gold" part of blood, is the donation type most needed by Australian patients, with treatment for more than 50 medical conditions reliant on its supply. In Newcastle and Maitland alone, about 100 plasma donors are still needed every day, seven days a week. Newcastle Pride committee member Krys Sutton has been in a long-term, committed relationship. Mr Sutton said he was disappointed he could not donate when Lifeblood put the call out, and expected it would take time for trust to be rebuilt with the LGBTQIA+ community. "I think it's something that everyone should do because they can, and it's free," he said. "Once the legislation changes [around blood donations], we can come through and do this, be part of the community and give back. I think that's really important." The new rules mean about 625,000 Australians may become eligible to donate plasma, and Lifeblood expects about 95,000 extra plasma donations will be made each year. The changes mean those on PrEP will become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period. Cr Clausen said what made Australia's system particularly special was that it relied on the generosity of voluntary, unpaid donors. "The need is real, and now that I'm eligible, I'm proud to help," he said. "Once the broader changes to blood donation rules come into effect next year, I absolutely intend to donate blood too. "Donating blood and plasma to help save lives shouldn't depend on who you love. It should depend only on whether you're healthy and willing to give." Over the next 12 months, Lifeblood estimates an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma. Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said patient safety would always be Lifeblood's top priority, and that extensive research and modelling had shown the changes can be implemented without compromising the safety of Australia's blood supply. "While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their life-saving plasma," he said. Lifeblood has made changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approving a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules. The changes, known as gender-neutral assessments, are expected to be introduced next year. Once implemented, all donors will be asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality, and most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood. Lifeblood's chief medical officer, Jo Pink, said its submission to change rules for blood donation included data that showed, for now, a six-month wait was the safest option for Australian patients. Dr Pink said Lifeblood was committed to reviewing the wait as more evidence became available. "There are many steps that Lifeblood needs to take before we can implement the new gender-neutral assessments, including working with state and territory governments to change the donor questionnaire," she said. "We hope to be able to implement this part of the changes next year." To book a donation call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App. GROWING up, Newcastle Labor councillor Declan Clausen heard Lifeblood's calls for donors. As a gay man, he wasn't allowed to help. "Not because my blood wasn't safe, but because of outdated rules rooted in stereotypes and stigma," he said. "Being denied the opportunity to help others in need has always felt deeply unfair." As of this week, he can make his first plasma donation after Australian Red Cross Lifeblood removed most sexual activity wait times for life-saving plasma donations. The change means many gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can now help save lives. For decades, donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months. Cr Clausen has long championed reform, and said the changes introduced this week were a major step forward. "I've always believed that blood donation policies should be based on actual risk, not outdated assumptions tied to identity," he said. "They [the changes] recognise the science, and will finally allow thousands of Australians, including me, to contribute." Plasma, the "liquid gold" part of blood, is the donation type most needed by Australian patients, with treatment for more than 50 medical conditions reliant on its supply. In Newcastle and Maitland alone, about 100 plasma donors are still needed every day, seven days a week. Newcastle Pride committee member Krys Sutton has been in a long-term, committed relationship. Mr Sutton said he was disappointed he could not donate when Lifeblood put the call out, and expected it would take time for trust to be rebuilt with the LGBTQIA+ community. "I think it's something that everyone should do because they can, and it's free," he said. "Once the legislation changes [around blood donations], we can come through and do this, be part of the community and give back. I think that's really important." The new rules mean about 625,000 Australians may become eligible to donate plasma, and Lifeblood expects about 95,000 extra plasma donations will be made each year. The changes mean those on PrEP will become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period. Cr Clausen said what made Australia's system particularly special was that it relied on the generosity of voluntary, unpaid donors. "The need is real, and now that I'm eligible, I'm proud to help," he said. "Once the broader changes to blood donation rules come into effect next year, I absolutely intend to donate blood too. "Donating blood and plasma to help save lives shouldn't depend on who you love. It should depend only on whether you're healthy and willing to give." Over the next 12 months, Lifeblood estimates an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma. Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen said patient safety would always be Lifeblood's top priority, and that extensive research and modelling had shown the changes can be implemented without compromising the safety of Australia's blood supply. "While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their life-saving plasma," he said. Lifeblood has made changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approving a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules. The changes, known as gender-neutral assessments, are expected to be introduced next year. Once implemented, all donors will be asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality, and most people in a sexual relationship of six months or more with a single partner will be eligible to donate blood. Lifeblood's chief medical officer, Jo Pink, said its submission to change rules for blood donation included data that showed, for now, a six-month wait was the safest option for Australian patients. Dr Pink said Lifeblood was committed to reviewing the wait as more evidence became available. "There are many steps that Lifeblood needs to take before we can implement the new gender-neutral assessments, including working with state and territory governments to change the donor questionnaire," she said. "We hope to be able to implement this part of the changes next year." To book a donation call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App.
