Individual Donor Assessment Takes Effect in New Zealand

The New Zealand Blood Service implemented individual donor assessment (IDA) on Monday, expanding blood and plasma donor eligibility, including for some gay and bisexual men. New Zealand’s health regulator, Medsafe, approved the transition to IDA in February 2025.

Under the updated policy, all donors are asked the same questions about recent sexual activity, including whether they have had new or multiple partners in the past three months and, if so, whether those encounters involved anal sex. Donors reporting anal sex with new or multiple partners are deferred for three months. Additional screening questions address recent sexually transmitted infections, with a three-month deferral following treatment and recovery.

The policy shift aligns with international trends toward IDA for blood donation, which took effect in Australia in April, and is supported by global and domestic evidence, including findings from the University of Auckland-led Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study (SPOTS).

Sarah Morley, FRACMA, FRCPCH, FFICM, PhD, chief medical officer and executive director at NZBS, said the change is a step forward but noted the organization will continue exploring opportunities to expand donor eligibility for plasma for fractionation while maintaining patient safety.

“International developments and emerging evidence will continue to be monitored, including Australia’s ‘plasma pathway,’ which has enabled a wider group of donors to donate plasma, including people who use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),” Morely said. "Any future changes in New Zealand would be carefully considered, with patient safety remaining the priority.”