Australia was the first nation to remove a lifetime ban on blood donation for gay and bisexual men, and trans women (GBmTw) who have sex with men, in favour of a 12-month abstinence deferral period, which was subsequently reduced to a 3-month deferral. Australia, however, has since fallen behind like-minded countries. The UK, US, and Canada have removed deferral periods based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In these countries, all prospective donors are screened with the same questions, a process referred to as Individual Risk Assessment (IRA).

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