Sexually transmitted disease (STD) - Whole blood and components

Scenarios

Affected individual

Obligatory

Refer to the entry for the condition.

If there is no specific entry, must not donate if:

Less than 3 months from completing treatment.

Current or former sexual partner of an affected individual

Obligatory

Refer to the entry for the condition.

If there is no specific entry, or the entry has no guidance on assessing sexual partners, must not donate if:

1. The potential donor is undergoing, or waiting for, investigations.
2. The potential donor required treatment and it is less than 3 months since completing that treatment.
3. The potential donor did not require treatment and it is less than 3 months from the last sexual contact with the infected partner.

Discretionary

1. If the donor's sexual partner has been diagnosed with chlamydia, genital warts or genital herpes and the donor is not undergoing treatment or investigation, accept.
2. If there is no entry for the condition, or the entry has no guidance on assessing sexual partners, and it is more than 3 months since the donor’s sexual partner completed treatment, accept.

Supporting information

See if relevant

• Blood safety

For chlamydia (excluding lymphogranuloma venereum):

• Infection, acute

For genital warts:

• Warts

For genital herpes:

• Herpes simplex

For syphilis:

• Syphilis

Additional information

Certain sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhoea, are more likely to be associated with other sexually transmitted infections and/or blood borne viruses that can be passed on through blood and component donation. A 3-month deferral is required so that there is less risk of other infections being missed by the Blood Services and then being passed on to a recipient of donated material.

Reason for change:

This entry was updated to support the implementation of recommendations from the FAIR study; the deferral period after a sexually transmitted disease, or treatment after sexual contact with an infected person, has been reduced to three months.

Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 57 (26 May 2011)