FDA proposes relaxing gay blood ban
13.02.2023 - 18:22
/ qvoicenews.com
The FDA is proposing changes to its gay blood ban. The agency has recommended changing its blood donation guidelines for gay and bisexual men and women who have sex with gay — They would focus on sexual behaviors instead of gender or sexual orientation, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday. Photo: FDA
The FDA is proposing changes to its gay blood ban.
The agency has recommended changing its blood donation guidelines for gay and bisexual men and women who have sex with gay — They would focus on sexual behaviors instead of gender or sexual orientation, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday.
The agency said that the change would be in line with similar policies in Canada and the United Kingdom.
The new rules would allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood if they have not engaged in certain sexual behavior, such as anal sex, in the past few months. Current rules prohibit gay men from donating blood if they have had any sexual activity in the past three months with another man.
In its announcement, the FDA said the proposed changes wouldn’t harm the blood supply.
“Whether it’s for someone involved in a car accident, or for an individual with a life-threatening illness, blood donations save lives every day,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said. “Maintaining a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products in the U.S. is paramount for the FDA, and this proposal for an individual risk assessment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will enable us to continue using the best science to do so.”
Also, all prospective donors will be asked about new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months. If they did have new or multiple partners, a prospective donor will be asked