Expanding plasma eligibility for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men

Men are able to donate source plasma every week at our London and Calgary donor centres. Plasma donated by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in London and Calgary will be sent to be made into plasma protein products when the donor comes in at least 60 days later to donate and has a second negative test result. Plasma protein products are specialized medicines that are made from the proteins in plasma to help treat a variety of rare, life-threatening, chronic, and genetic conditions.

This 60-day hold is a requirement from our regulator Health Canada and the companies that manufacture specialized medicines from the proteins in plasma, called fractionators.

Our upcoming submission to Health Canada requesting the removal of the eligibility criteria for men who have sex with men will not contain a hold.

Additional information for first-time donors (PDF)

We truly understand that being turned away from donating can leave any donor with a sense of frustration and disappointment. We recognize that eligibility criteria for men who have sex with men is a particularly sensitive issue affecting many who have experienced longstanding marginalization and stigma. We also recognize that the slow pace of changes to donor criteria that still exclude many gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men has been painful and frustrating for many, and we are working to create a more inclusive system.  

Canadian Blood Services’ goal is to remove the current waiting period for men who have sex with men and use sexual behaviour-based screening for all donors instead. To this end, we intend to make a submission recommending this change to Health Canada, our regulator, by the end of 2021.