Blood donation among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men after relaxation of deferral policies in Brazil

• Grant number: 23/10473-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Edson Zangiacomi Martinez
• Grantee: Edson Zangiacomi Martinez
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Inês Santos Estevinho Fronteira ; Miriane Lucindo Zucoloto
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/05007-8 - Obtaining and organising information on blood donation among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men, BP.TT

Abstract

Introduction: The Brazilian regulations on blood donation by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbHSH), which were in force until April 2020, established that gbHSH were considered temporarily ineligible to donate for a period of 12 months after the last risky sexual relationship. This restriction was lifted in May 2020 due to strong pressure from the decline in donations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the progress of studies on new therapies to control the epidemic through blood plasma transfusion. Since the change in regulations, there has been no study that has examined blood donation by gbHSH. The present proposal aims to fill this gap and analyze this practice. Primary objectives: (a) To evaluate the practice of blood donation among gbHSH in Brazil after the end of the deferral policy for this population. (b) To evaluate the perception of accessibility of the gbHSH population to donation, considering geographical, economic, cultural and functional aspects. (c) To describe the perception of longitudinal and consequent linkage to the blood bank. Secondary objectives: (a) To update data on the practice of blood donation by gbHSH through a comparison between data obtained in a period before the end of the exclusion rules and data to be collected by this research, three years after the end of the rules. (b) To assess the level of discomfort of gbHSH blood donors in answering additional questions about their sexual behavior under a neutral approach in the screening process for blood donation. (c) To estimate the impact of the relaxation of the deferral policy in Brazil on the transfusion risk in Brazil, using a Bayesian statistical model. (d) To assess the prevalence of chemsex and slamming practices in the gbHSH population (drug use in sexual relations). (e) To assess the prevalence of the use of mobile apps for sexual encounters in the gbHSH population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study considering the Brazilian population of gbHSHs with non-probabilistic sampling obtained through the virtual snowball method. The procedures for conducting the study will occur in five moments: a) mapping of partner organizations; b) contact and consolidation of partnerships; c) selection of seeds used in the snowball method; d) data collection; e) Bayesian model to estimate the impact of new policies on transfusion risk. The questionnaires will be administered via the Internet using the REDCap electronic data capture tool. The online questionnaire will consist of a series of questions divided into sections such as socio-demographic data, blood donation practice questionnaire, perceived accessibility questionnaire, and discomfort in answering additional questions about sexual behavior in the screening interview at blood banks. (AU)