Austria is relaxing its blood donation rules, which at present stop many gay and bisexual men as well all trans people from donating, Health Minister Johannes Rauch has announced.

The new approach will be based on individual behaviour rather than blanket bans for certain communities.

Until now, transgender people or anyone with a non-binary gender or sex identity (that is, not male or female; man or woman) could not give blood under any circumstances. Gay and bisexual men could only donate if they hadn't had sex in 12 months.

"We are thus eliminating an unequal treatment that is completely out of date," the minister, of the environmentalist Green party, said. The conservative Austrian's People Party, in coalition with the Greens, also approved the move.

Under the new rules, anyone who has had sex with three different partners within the last three months will be excluded from giving blood for three months, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

According to Rauch, the regulation will apply from autumn and will be evaluated by experts after two years.