Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest study for gay, bisexual, and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBM) launches this month with an aim to recruit 4000 participants to complete a questionnaire about HIV prevention/treatment and opinions on blood donation. Currently, GBM are deferred from donating life-saving blood if they have had sex in the last three months, effectively excluding most GBM from taking part. The current policy is in place as a legacy of the HIV epidemic but the study aims to find out more about potential suitability for some GBM to safely donate blood. It is estimated that up to 35,000 GBM in New Zealand would be eligible to donate under a less restrictive policy.
Associate Professor Dr. Peter Saxton, lead investigator, says, “The NZ Blood Service agrees that some [GBM] present a low risk for donating blood, but the organisation lacks evidence to improve the policy further. Our study will be the first to provide that evidence.”
Participants will be asked to complete an online survey with questions about sexual behaviour, HIV prevention, and attitudes towards blood donation. Participants then have the option to complete a dried blood spot sample using a kit sent out directly to them (to test for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C). The linking of responses between the questionnaire and the results of the dried blood spot sample will help inform estimates of undiagnosed prevalence of these diseases, which is crucial for informing blood donation policy.
With a current shortage of A+ blood, and calls from the New Zealand Blood Service for donors to come forward, the potential to allow more people to donate is vital in helping solve future blood supply shortages.
Dr. Sarah Morley, Chief Medical Officer, New Zealand Blood Service comments, “The outcome will help provide vital New Zealand-based evidence that will inform the next review of New Zealand Blood Service’s behavioural deferral policy. This study is a real opportunity to help effect change, and we encourage all eligible people to take part.”
In recent years, there have been increasing complaints about NZ’s “gay blood ban” including complaints to the Human Rights Commission and negative media attention citing the policy’s discriminatory and unscientific nature.
“Our community consultation showed us that lots of people are passionate about creating a fairer blood donation policy and eliminating HIV transmission in Aotearoa NZ. I’m sure that extends to the whānau and friends of men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), who we call upon to share the study link and support their MSM loved ones to take part,” says Saxton.
The study is part of ongoing research into the HIV epidemic in New Zealand, and the first to ask participants about use of PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis), which was first funded for HIV prevention in New Zealand in 2018. The study is run in partnership with the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, Body Positive, Te Whāriki Takapou, The University of Otago, and New Zealand Blood Service.
With a current shortage of A+ blood, and calls from the New Zealand Blood Service for donors to come forward, the potential to allow more people to donate is vital in helping solve future blood supply shortages. The combined ability for the study to also update intelligence about sexual behaviour, and HIV prevention and treatment means that New Zealand could be on its way to achieving its goal of zero HIV transmissions by 2025.
The study launches online this month.