Perceived risk explains aversion to blood donation by men who have sex with men

With advances in HIV testing and waning prevalence of the disease, policies restricting men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood have been eased. However, aversion towards the notion of receiving a transfusion of blood donated by MSM relative to heterosexual donors is documented. This research tested the role of perceived risk in driving such aversion.

In online experiments, 460 (Study 1) and 863 (Study 2) heterosexual participants read an article about transfusion policies and rated perceived risk of transfusions, willingness to receive a transfusion, and willingness to donate blood. In Study 1, the articles detailed eased MSM deferral policies or other transfusion policies. In Study 2, the MSM article was adapted to highlight low risk or high benefit of policy changes in an attempt to mitigate aversion.

In Study 1, participants who read the MSM article reported significantly higher perceived risk relative to those who read about general eligibility. Perceived risk explained downstream impacts on willingness to receive a transfusion. In Study 2, neither highlighting low risk nor high benefit of MSM deferral policy changes reduced perceived risk of transfusions.

This research highlights that perceived risk may drive aversion toward the notion of receiving a transfusion of blood donated by MSM. Interventions that aim to reduce perceived risk by emphasizing high benefits or low risks of easing deferral policies may not be effective. Research into other routes to mitigate negativity towards donation of blood by MSM is warranted.