The FDA has been under a lot of pressure for its ridiculous policy banning blood donations from anyone who has had a single sexual encounter with another man anytime since Jimmy Carter was president. Apparently, the agency has decided to give in–kind of. Under new guidelines yet to be approved, the FDA would reduce the ban to a one-year period.
Which is still pretty ridiculous.
The new policy does not take into account couples in monogamous relationships. It also equates all “sexual contact” with the same level of risk, which simply is not true. The FDA has essentially lessened the stigma, but it hasn’t removed it.
“If you are a heterosexual man who admits to having unprotected sex with a sex worker or prostitute, you can wait one year and donate blood.” Sean Cahill, director of health policy research at the Fenway Institute, told Vox. “But a gay man who has been in a monogamous relationship and who tests negative for HIV still can’t.” A one-month deferral would make more sense given the sensitivity of the tests used to screen blood donations.
How about we take this to the next level?
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The agency still has to finalize the recommendation, which would take effect sometime in mid-2015. Despite its flaws, the new guidelines would be a step forward. Unfortunately, there are still a few more steps to go.
ric
This is bullshit. Either lift the ban or don’t. I am getting tired of some people in our community being ok with half pass compromises. Either go 100% or don’t bother. If we keep on saying ok to half ass things. Then that’s all their gonna offer. Come on we got balls now let’s use them.
TVC 15
@ric: Hear, hear! Even if they lift the ban, I don’t want to give them my blood anymore.
ric
I agree. I never gave blood or my precious goods down below before. And I am not gonna start. I’m just tired of our community laying down and excepting what ever comes along.STOP ALREADY.
ric
Please don’t get me started. There’s a whole lot of things I can rant about.
Austin77
The simple fact is that gay men are still, as a group, at a high risk for HIV infection. That sucks, but it can’t be legitimately denied. The new deferral is in line with other high-risk groups. The next step (and probably part of the public comments period) is further narrowing/defining what MSM acts are “high risk” and developing separate deferrals for different criteria.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a step – and a pretty important one. The mere fact that 1) the blanket ban is gone and 2) the policy is going to be open for discussion is a huge deal.
Paco
A year of being sexless just to donate blood? How will they be able to prove their chastity? I don’t really see the point of a one year deferral. It’s the same as the lifetime ban for being honest about being gay.
jwtraveler
@Paco: Have sex or donate blood? That’s a tough choice.
jason smeds
The FDA´s policy against “gay men” is based on politics and prejudice. There is no sustainable argument for refusing blood donations from healthy men who have sexual relations with other men.
The FDA has no qualms accepting blood donations from men and women who engaged in exactly the same type of sexual activity as men who have relations with other men. It´s a double standard – you can´t have a sustainable policy based on a double standard.
I have no problem with the FDA imposing rules on donors but they have to be imposed in a logical and scientific way, and they must not be based on a double standard.
Saint Law
@jason smeds: It’s heartening to see you take a stand on an issue which in no way effects you or is likely to in the future.
jason smeds
Saint Law,
You’re welcome.
I’ll also point out that one of the prejudices involved in the ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men is the fear of male homosexuality. Women fear that their husbands and boyfriends will become infected with “homosexual desire” should they receive blood from such men.
demetreus
Brothers, it is time to stand up! And demand answers… Why are we the scapegoats? Where did this disease come from? I firmly believe there is a cure, but it’s going to take us making a fuss to get the truth . To think, the noise we made just to get gay marriage… If we had the same strength as a whole to demand answers, then I think we could move mountains. Something doesn’t add up… The 70s where gay men were being paid to try a hepatitis vaccine that was discontinued in the early 80s. People need to wake up and stand up!!!
jason smeds
demetreus,
Gay men today won’t stand up for anything. All they do is whine about things.
There’s no genuine intellectual activism anymore. Today’s gay men are more interested in their apps like Grindr and that “hot guy I saw at the bar the other night”. We are witnessing the decay and self-destruction of the movement.
Daniel-Reader
People of color have the highest rates of infection yet the FDA does not blanket ban people of color from giving blood. This shows their bigotry. The FDA also “approved” the PreP treatment so stigmatizing the gay community benefits the pharmacutical industry that feeds/funds the FDA. It is pathetic.
jason smeds
Daniel-Reader,
You got it in one.
The CDC and the FDA are cooperating with each other to create a market for the drugs firms that get their approvals from the FDA. The black community is too smart to allow itself to be blanket-banned from giving blood. Unfortunately, the gay community lacks the desire to challenge the CDC and FDA on their long-standing ban on gay men giving blood.
buffnightwing
I am HIV positive and undetectable viral load. I am going and I have a boyfriend. This just stigmatizes all of us as AIDS infected perverts.
This is WORSE than the total ban. Stupid really.
they screen all the blood throughly.
I am going to go donate blood today because I am so confident that it will get screened out.
I will just lie on the form. HA HA
buffnightwing
IM GOING TO DONATE TODAY!
woo hoo! 🙂
onthemark
@buffnightwing: Uh… what’s in it for you… a free donut?
Also, didn’t you declare in a drama-queen huff that you were leaving this site forever (gasp!!!), and that was only about 3 weeks ago?
whatinthehell
@buffnightwing:
There is a line between making a statement and endangering children and the ill.
demetreus
@Daniel-Reader: @jason smeds: I am sorry, but what does the black community have to do with this??? This discrimination is about you and me! Don’t even try to escape it darling
buffnightwing
@onthemark: My guess is a you have a HUGE crush on me. You mention my name so often.
Say hit to Black and HIV positive for me hun.
🙂