Individual at risk

Recipient

Guidance at RECRUITMENT for adult volunteer donor and maternal donor (cord blood donation)

Acceptable

Guidance at CT/WORK-UP

Acceptable if more than 3 months from last sexual contact with a person living with HIV.

However, this time period may be shortened at the discretion of the requesting transplant centre.

Justification for guidance

HIV infection is sexually transmitted and might be passed on to recipient by transplant of stem cells. 

Since peoples’ sexual practices change over time, and since the window period for HIV detection is less than 3 months, a sexual history is not necessary at the time of recruitment and need only be taken from potential donors at the time of confirmatory typing and workup assessment. Furthermore, individuals should not be deferred at time of recruitment due to behavioral risk factors for infectious disease.

A period of 3 months since last possible exposure to infection obviates the risk of window period transmissions.