Our organization is committed to an inclusive approach to donor screening for sexual and gender diverse donors. In 2021 we began collecting source plasma from sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and also requested regulatory approval to move to gender neutral sexual behavior-based screening criteria for all donors for all donation types; approval was received, and we will implement this approach in fall, 2022.

As we make these changes, we consult with 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or questioning, Intersex, Asexual and other) communities and patient groups and engage with them in research projects as collaborators and advisory group members. Including the voices of sexual and gender diverse people with lived experience is essential to ensuring effective and inclusive policies and practices.
In this session we will highlight the voices of community members and describe these research and engagement efforts. We will describe two specific research studies about donation for sexual and gender diverse donors and highlight how these studies contribute to more inclusive donation policy. We will identify the elements of community-based research and engagement that were and continue to be integral for making systemic changes to advance equity and inclusion for gender and sexual diverse donors. We will focus on how community engagement and community-based research can be applied in your own organization or research program to achieve inclusive policy development for gender and sexual diverse donors.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Terrie Butler-Foster MScN

Canadian Blood Services

Appearances