The Food and Drug Administration, citing an “urgent need for blood,” has eased restrictions on gay men. A bit.
Men who have had sex with other men within 12 months could not donate under the previous rule. Now that widow has been shortened to 3 months.
Restrictions on gay blood donors were initially put in place in 1983 in response to the AIDS crisis. At that time, a lifetime ban was placed on any man who had ever had sex with another man. In 2015, the rule was replaced by the 12 moth window.
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Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Thursday that it’s “critically important” for HIV+ people not to give blood, but said the new rule is more in line with the time it takes to observe HIV in recently infected people.
“These changes are based on the best science that we have today regarding the time that it takes to test positive for HIV,” he told reporters, saying the change would help to reduce stigma and increase the donor pool.
Earlier this week, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called for the “antiquated ban” to be “immediately lifted.”
“The FDA cannot let an outdated and discriminatory ban on blood donations from gay and bi men get in the way of potentially life-saving treatment for the country’s painful current health crisis,” she said.
Related: The FDA said he couldn’t give blood because he’s gay… so he donated a kidney in protest
“Gay and bi men who have recovered from COVID-19 and want to donate plasma, or who want to help contribute to a nationwide shortage of blood, are banned from doing so as a result of the FDA. Continuing to enforce this antiquated policy is dangerous, irresponsible, and flies in the face of recommendations from medical experts.”
The Human Right Campaign put out this statement in response to the change:
“While this change by the FDA is a step in the right direction, it still bases itself in bias rather than science. Creating policy based on identity as opposed to risk is irrational and given the current COVID-19 crisis, it is more critical than ever to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias.”
jayceecook
“Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Thursday that it’s “critically important” for HIV+ people not to give blood, but said the new rule is more in line with the time it takes to observe HIV in recently infected people.”
Dear Mr. Adams,
Are you applying the same rule to heterosexual people or lesbians and bi women who’ve had sexual relations within the past 3 months? If not, this isn’t about HIV.
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MarkyMarkNipple
Oh another arbitrary rule that can change when the str8’s need something.
Catholicslutbox
Pass.
Not interested in helping homophobes.
4runnergui
So if I understand correctly, this is not about HIV but about gay men. I have been partnered for the past 4 years, we are both HIV- and intend to stay that way so just because we are two men, gay and have sex we are not allowed to donate. How irrational and homophobic. On another note, I would hope all the blood that was donated is tested for the HIV virus because If I am correct, straight people, bi people and people of any other identity can also carry the virus . . . not just gay men. Once again this is prejudiced against gay men.
jayceecook
It’s not *just* about gay men. It’s about any man who’s had a sexual encounter with another man. It used to be that even 1 time and you were permanently denied from donating. Of course that is if you reported it when asked on thier questionnaire. Then it was changed to within the past 12 months. Now this new stipulation.
They do test for HIV and other things. That’s how my Mom found out she had Hep A long time ago. She donated blood and then later received a letter that it came back positive for Hep A and they gave her a free coffee mug.
This all goes back to the HIV epidemic of the 80s and 90s and the stigma surrounding how it was transmitted. Back then they didn’t know much. But now they do. And while gay, bi, queer, etc men are at an increased risk for HIV and still make up a large percentage of new cases the issue is more nuanced than just sexuality. Number of partners, race and ethnicity, unprotected sex, drug use, and socioeconomic factors play a large role as well. So for example, a man who has sex with other men but uses protection, knows the status of their partners, and has a low number of partners is at a much lower risk. Yet the FDA doesn’t care. They’d rather stick to old stereotypes than create a better screening process.
michel_banen
Every person should have to obstain from sex for 3 months in order to give blood. I’ve been in a monogamous relationship for 23 years and yet I’m considered a risk because my monogamous partner is male too. So if I was straight and had sex with a zillion woman I would still be less of a risk !?
jayceecook
Exactly. If this was truly about HIV transmission everybody who wants to donate should have to follow the 3 or 12 month stipulation.
Slipperyslope
“Every person should have to obstain from sex for 3 months in order to give blood. I’ve been in a monogamous relationship for 23 years…” In all due respect, after 23yrs, I understand how you are fine going 3mths without sex, however, this is pretty unrealistic for the majority of the population, gay, straight, bi, etc. And if you decide to donate a few times a year or more, I guess sex just never happened then?
The point being the Red Cross has always been prejudice towards the gays and now they have their hands out. Where are all the courageous and strong straight people in their bucket of donors and not to mention their board of directors who have been fearlessly “saving lives” since the mid 80’s? Oh…right, we’re in an epidemic and all of a sudden they need the LGBT community to step up. A community that’s been shit on for years and disregarded on multiple levels. Whatever!
ingyaom
Now the str8s want our blood – too bad they haven’t all treated us nicely in the past.
Kangol2
Except that LGBQT people are coming down with Covid-19. Hello?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Oh dear!
How WILL they react when they see that pink blood in the IV bags?????
Cam
So in other words, the SECOND they needed blood they admit that the 12 month ban was just homophobic B.S.
Bromancer7
Nope. Hard pass. F*ck ’em. Too little, too late.