The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) bans gay & bisexual men from donating blood. The current lifetime deferral focuses on sexual orientation & we are calling on the FDA to change its policy so that it focuses on sexual behavior & individual risk instead.
In 2010, HHS agreed that the ban on MSM blood donations was “suboptimal”, but kept it in place pending additional research to “create a road map forward”.
The American Medical Association opposes the ban saying it isn’t based on sound science. The blood donation organizations believe the rule should be modified to reflect the deferrals for other similar high-risk sexual behavior. 85 members of Congress have written to HHS to encourage its end.
Changing this policy is long overdue - it is time to end this ban.
No comments:
Post a Comment