The United States is moving to ease restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and other groups that traditionally face higher HIV risks. Here, tubes direct blood from a donor into a bag in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
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Charlie Neibergall/AP
The United States is moving to ease restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and other groups that traditionally face higher HIV risks. Here, tubes direct blood from a donor into a bag in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday it has officially eliminated restrictions that had previously banned many blood donations from gay and bisexual men – a longstanding policy that critics say it is discriminatory.
Jo news release, the federal agency said it will recommend a series of “individual risk-based questions” that will be the same for every blood donor, regardless of their sexual orientation, sex or gender. Those who have had anal sex with a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner, in the last three months will be asked to wait to donate blood.
“The implementation of these recommendations will represent a significant step for the agency and the LGBTQI + community,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the release
With the updated guidelines, most gay and bisexual men who are in a monogamous relationship with a man will not have to abstain from sex in order to donate blood.
Previously, the FDA’s blood donation guidelines — which were last updated in 2020 — stated that men who have sex with men are allowed to donate blood after a deferment period of ‘ three months in which they refrain from having sex with another man.
While the number of people eligible to donate blood has increased, the agency said it will continue to monitor the safety of the blood supply.
The 40-year restrictions were to protect the blood supply from HIV
Restrictions on blood donation date back to the early days of the AIDS epidemic and were designed to protect the blood supply from HIV.
At first, gay and bisexual men were completely prohibited from donating blood. But over time, the FDA finally relaxed the ban of life. However, the agency still kept some limits in place.
The newly updated guidelines are aimed at addressing years-long criticism that the previous policy was discriminatory and outdated, creating another obstacle to strengthening the nation’s blood supply.
Blood banks already routinely screen donated blood for HIV.
And for decades, organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Red Cross and numerous LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have called for a change in the rules.
The changes are a a most welcome change in a new direction, say the lawyers
The reaction to the news was mostly positive from lawyers, medical groups and blood banks.
“This shift toward individual donor assessments prioritizes the security of America’s blood supply while treating all donors with the fairness and respect they deserve,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers, an independent, community-based, nonprofit fundraising organization. blood centers, in a statement.
Fry said the FDA’s final guidance is based on data showing that the best protection against diseases, such as HIV, is through vigorous testing of all blood donations — and a uniform screening process. for each donor.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis echoed that endorsement in a statementsaid “The FDA’s decision to follow the science and issue new recommendations for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, to give blood selflessly to help save lives, signals the beginning of an end to a dark and discriminatory past rooted in fear and homophobia,”
However, Ellis said while the new guidance is a step in the right direction, there is still a barrier for LGBTQ+ people who are on PrEP, an FDA-approved drug tried to prevent the transmission of HIV, who may want to donate blood.
“GLAAD urges the FDA to continue to prioritize science over stigma and treat all donors and all blood equally,” she added.
NPR’s Rob Stein and Will Stone contributed to this report.
