Red Cross reviewing gay donations policy

Men who have had sex with other men in the past 12 months are banned from donating blood. (ABC News: File photo)

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is set to review its policy which prevents many gay men from donating blood.

Men who have had sex with other men in the past 12 months are banned from donating blood because of concerns about higher rates of HIV in the gay community.

But gay activists say the Red Cross should be screening for safe sex.

To ensure the safety of its supplies the Red Cross Blood Service asks many questions of its donors. It says one in nine people are turned away because they are low in iron.

Others are turned away because they have had a recent dental filling or some may be rejected because they have had a body piercing.

But one question in particular stops healthy gay men from donating.

Red Cross spokesman Nicholas McGowan says being gay does not mean a man would be deferred under the current policy.

"The people who are deferred under this policy are males who've had sex with males in the last 12 months," he said.

"Males who haven't had sex with males in the last 12 months are actually eligible to donate blood so it doesn't exclude everyone.

"It is a specific type of act if you will and that act, of course, and the decision is based on the prevalence of HIV-AIDS in that particular community."

Mr McGowan says numerous questions of a highly personal nature are asked of everyone who donates blood in order to identify behaviour which would pose a threat to the blood supply.

"People obviously fill those questions down in good faith and respond in good faith and that will continue to be the way until, of course, we review this particular policy," he said.