Scarlet Alliance appreciates the opportunity to provide a submission on this issue, as it follows on from
issues raised directly with the Australian Red Cross in the past. We understand the Australian Red Cross
has a responsibility to protect blood recipients from disease and that there is a need to screen individuals
for recent occassions of unsafe sex prior to accepting them as a blood donor. However, based on current
epidemiology we do not believe sex work constitutes ‘risk behaviour’ and based on advancement in
testing technology and issues of direct and indirect discrimination we do not believe that Australian sex
workers should be subject to exclusion from blood donation. As such, we recommend that the exclusion
of sex workers from donating blood should cease.
