Blood donation restrictions for gay men and sex workers are to be relaxed in England and Scotland under a series of equalities reforms announced by the government. Gay men will be allowed to donate blood three months after sexual intercourse instead of a year. Sex workers, who were previously banned from donating, will be subject to the same three-month rule.

Advances in testing for blood-borne viruses, including hepatitis B and C and HIV, prompted the advisory committee on the safety of blood, tissues and organs to recommend the reforms to the government, which ministers accepted.

Fears over infections being passed on through donations from gay men led to an outright ban at the height of the Aids epidemic, but that was cut to 12 months in 2011. The rule changes on blood donations will be implemented from November in Scotland, and early 2018 in England.

Transgender people will also be able to choose their legal sex more easily as part of the equalities reforms announced by Justine Greening. “This government is committed to building an inclusive society that works for everyone, no matter what their gender or sexuality, and today we’re taking the next step forward,” the education and equalities secretary said.

“We will build on the significant progress we have made over the past 50 years, tackling some of the historic prejudices that still persist in our laws and giving LGBT people a real say on the issues affecting them.”

Reforms making it easier for transgender people to chose their sex legally, by removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and speeding up the bureaucratic process, will go out to consultation in the autumn.

Greening said she wanted to reduce the stigma faced by trans people, who have to provide evidence that they have been in transition for at least two years before they can apply to change their gender legally.

Theresa May indicated earlier this week that she was preparing to reform the Gender Recognition Act, saying: “When it comes to rights and protections for trans people, there is still a long way to go.”

The reforms have been widely welcomed by LGBT campaigners. Ethan Spibey, founder of FreedomToDonate, which campaigns against blood donation restrictions for gay and bisexual men, said: “Today’s announcement from the government marks a world-leading blood donation policy for gay and bisexual men and the other groups previously restricted. I’m so proud that the work of FreedomToDonate and our supporters will help ensure more people than ever before are allowed to safely donate blood.

“I began this campaign because I wanted to repay the donor who saved my granddad’s life after a major operation, and this announcement means I’m closer than ever to doing that, with the invaluable help of our team of volunteers, and the charities and organisations FreedomToDonate represents.”

Suzanna Hopwood, a member of the Stonewall trans advisory group, said: “Reform is one of the key priorities in our vision for removing the huge inequalities that trans people face in the UK. The current system is demeaning and broken. It’s vital that this reform removes the requirements for medical evidence and an intrusive interview panel, and finally allows all trans people to have their gender legally recognised through a simple administrative process. That’s what we’ll be calling for during this consultation, and I’m looking forward to seeing the law change soon after.”