The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation
At first, gay and bisexual men were completely prohibited from donating blood. But over time, the FDA ultimately relaxed the lifetime ban. However, the agency still kept some limits in place. Thanks to new federal guidelines finalized in May, gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate at many blood centers around the country without abstaining from sex. Bloodworks Northwest, where Smith works as a donor services supervisor, adopted the change on Dec.
A Year After the Blood Donation Ban Was Lifted, Have You
Last year, the FDA implemented a new policy allowing more gay and bisexual men to donate blood. But did it make a difference? Early data suggests that it did. While the FDA rules for blood donation were revised twice in the last decade, one group — men who have sex with men MSM — continued to be turned away from donating. Now new, evidence-based FDA rules embraced by the American Red Cross will focus on individual risk rather than groupwide restrictions. FDA Lifts Discriminatory Blood Donation Ban For Gay and
The existing ban requires gay or bisexual men to abstain from sex for a minimum of three months before they can donate blood. This policy was established in April , when the FDA shortened the deferral time from one year to 90 days in response to a drastic decline in blood donations as the COVID pandemic took hold and thousands of blood drives were canceled. The current three-month. Editor's note: This story was updated with information from the FDA to clarify guidance to determine blood-donor eligibility. Health regulators on Thursday finalized a long-awaited plan that will allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood, potentially expanding the number of eligible donors in the U. 
Did FDA rule change allowing gay, bisexual men to donate
The FDA first banned men who have sex with men from donating blood in as the HIV/AIDS crisis unfolded. The agency removed the lifetime ban in December , but implemented the one-year. For years, Jose Dominguez, 50, had wanted to donate blood, feeling it was part of his civic duty. But he was restricted by rules set in place by the U.
FDA relaxes blood donation guidelines for gay and bisexual
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced major changes to the blood donation policy after decades of campaigning from GLAAD and LGBTQ advocates. The restrictions, which date back to the advent of the AIDS epidemic, meant that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men were ineligible as donors or subject to discriminatory. The agency will move towards an "individual risk-based" approach. The Food and Drug Administration has dropped all restrictions specific to gay and bisexual men donating blood, a move long anticipated by public health experts and gay rights activists.
New FDA blood donation rules for gay men
Despite advances in our understanding of HIV, the FDA was slow to change policy. Though the lifetime ban preventing gay and bisexual men from donating blood was lifted in , the FDA implemented a one-year abstinence requirement for potential donors. This requirement was shortened to a three-month period of abstinence in . The FDA must lift its discriminatory blood
While the FDA rules for blood donation were revised twice in the last decade, one group — men who have sex with men — continued to be turned away from donating. Now new, evidence-based FDA rules will focus on individual risk rather than groupwide restrictions. . FDA Lifts Ban on Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Thanks to new federal guidelines finalized in May, gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate at many blood centers around the country. .