New research suggests three times as many gay and bisexual men could donate their blood, if New Zealand adopted rules like those of the UK or Canada.
At the moment, men must not donate for 3 months following oral or anal sex with another man. But in Canada and the UK, those rules are gender neutral, less prohibitive, and more gay and bisexual men give blood as a result.
Associate Professor Peter Saxton is a lead investigator from the School of Population Health, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
Saxton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
