Recently I was stunned to find out that gay men are still not allowed to donate blood without extreme deterrents. Before December 2015 the FDA banned men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood or plasma for life. Their lifetime ban from donating was recently lifted, yet there are still extensive restrictions on their donations. Many people aren’t aware that this is even a proble. But is this restriction really keeping us safer, or is it outdated homophobia?
In 1983 at the start of the AIDS crisis the FDA put a lifetime deferment or ban on gays and bisexuals from being allowed to donate blood. The original ban was to protect the blood supply from being infected with AIDS or HIV, which at the time was a huge problem. However, as time moved forward and people actually began to understand HIV/AIDS and its causes and effects, this ban began to seem outdated. The American Association of Blood released a statement in 2014 stating that they believe the deferral period should be made “comparable with the criteria of the behaviors that pose an increased risk of transmission of transfusion-transmitted infections.” This statement and a variety of others began to get the ball rolling on the FDA changing the regulations surrounding MSM. This past December the FDA finally changed the requirements for MSM to donate blood. The FDA now states that MSM can donate blood only if it has been 12 months since their last MSM contact. That is if they have never had sexual contact with someone who has tested positive for HIV or has been an intravenous drug user.
Even after the changes were made, groups such as The National Gay Blood Drive, a gay rights advocacy group, were not pleased. They felt that the ban was still discriminatory and demeaning. The National Gay Blood Drive was influential in the first change on the ban and has promised to keep fighting until all MSM are able to donate blood if they are able and not discriminated on solely because of their sexual orientation.
The FDA 12 month ban still seems excessive. In today’s world you can test positive for HIV just three weeks after exposure according to AIDS.gov. That means people can get tested sooner, stop the spread, and get treated for HIV faster. There has also been extensive research on the benefits of lifting the ban completely. UCLA Law did a study on what the increased donations would be if the ban was lifted completely, with completing the regular blood donor requirements, and it could potentially increase donation amounts by 2%, which is huge with how much blood is actually being donated each year.
This deferral is still very upsetting to both members inside and outside of the gay community. Many believe that these eligible men are being declined simply because of their sexual orientation. Organizations such as the American Red Cross and the American Association of Blood believe that these policies are outdated, unwarranted, and have no bases on scientific merit. There is always room for progress in today’s world and ALWAYS need for eligible donors to donate blood so why make such tough restrictions that eligible people can’t even meet? To see where you can donate blood and if you meet the requirements, follow the link below. I have also included more information on the MSM ban.