Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques
Published on: March 13, 2015
Re-examining blood donor deferral criteria relating to injecting drug use
Brendan Quinn1, Clive Seed2, Anthony Keller2
1Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Australia
Area of Science:
- Blood Transfusion Safety
- Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Current Australian blood donor guidelines indefinitely defer individuals with a history of injecting drug use (IDU).
- A 12-month deferral is applied for sexual contact with individuals who have a history of IDU.
- These policies are being re-evaluated in light of advancements in blood safety and international practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if Australia's IDU-related blood donation eligibility criteria align with current scientific evidence.
- To determine consistency with international best practices in blood donation policies.
- To explore potential modifications to current IDU-related policies.
Main Methods:
- An expert committee reviewed literature on IDU epidemiology and transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) in Australia.
- The review included 'non-compliance' with IDU guidelines among people who inject drugs (PWID).
- International blood donation policies concerning IDU were analyzed, and risk modeling was performed.
Main Results:
- Injecting drug use (IDU) is infrequent in Australia (<1%), with a minority of people who inject drugs (PWID) reporting risky practices.
- Hepatitis C (HCV) remains prevalent among PWID, and IDU is a significant transmission route for TTIs.
- Modeling indicated an increased HIV detection risk if 1.8% of active PWID were not identified.
Conclusions:
- Significant research gaps prevented the expert committee from recommending changes to current IDU-related blood donation guidelines.
- The review identified critical knowledge gaps and future research directions.
- The study represents a foundational step towards potential future revisions of blood donation criteria.
Background And Aims:
Potential Australian blood donors are deferred indefinitely if they report a history of injecting drug use (IDU), or for 12 months if they report having engaged in sexual activity with someone who might have ever injected. Given incremental improvements in blood safety, this study sought to examine whether Australia's IDU-related eligibility criteria reflected current scientific evidence, were consistent with international best practice and, if current IDU-related policies were to be changed, how this should happen.
Methods:
An expert committee was formed to review relevant literature with a focus on issues including: the epidemiology of IDU in Australia and key transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) among Australian people who inject drugs (PWID); and, 'non-compliance' among PWID regarding IDU-related blood donation guidelines. International policies relating to blood donation and IDU were also reviewed. Modelling with available data estimated the risk of TTIs remaining undetected if the Blood Service's IDU-related guidelines were changed.
Results:
Very few (<1%) Australians engage in IDU, and IDU risk practices are reported by only a minority of PWID. However, the prevalence of HCV remains high among PWID, and IDU remains a key transmission route for various TTIs. Insufficient data were available to inform appropriate estimates of cessation and relapse among Australian PWID. Modelling findings indicated that the risk of not detecting HIV becomes greater than the reference group at a threshold of non-admission of being an active PWID of around 1.8% (0.5-5.1%). Excluding Japan, all Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development member countries permanently exclude individuals with a history of IDU from donating.
Conclusion:
Numerous research gaps meant that the study's expert Review Committee was unable to recommend altering Australia's current IDU-related blood donation guidelines. However, having identified critical knowledge gaps and future areas of research, the review made important steps toward changing the criteria.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:15Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...
01:28Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
02:45Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
01:22Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...
01:29Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
01:21Drug Accumulation During Multiple Dosing: Repetitive IV Injections