New Guidelines Allows More Gay And Bisexual Men To Donate Blood In US

There is a new rule in place by the Food and Drug Administration that allows more gay and bisexual men to donate blood. The new guidelines that were released on Thursday stated that men who have sex with other men who are in a monogamous relationship no longer have to refrain from donating blood.

It further stated that, however, people who have indulged in anal sex with a new partner or partners in the last three months will be asked to wait before donating blood. This is only to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV, which is undetectable if it’s a new infection.

Previously, gay men weren't allowed to donate blood if they had indulged in sexual intercourse with any man within the last three months, even if they were monogamous relationship.

FDA Allows Gay Men To Donate Blood

The new guidelines noted that all donors, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, will be asked the same question. The implementation of this rule comes after a decades-long ban on gay men donating blood.

It’s a historic win for the LGBTQIA+ community and experts who have long been calling out the rules surrounding blood donation for homosexual and bisexual people as discriminatory.

The director of the FDA’s Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Peter Marks, said that they have been ensuring that the new guidelines are safe for everyone involved. In a press release, he said that the implementation of these recommendations will mark an important milestone for the agency and the LGBTQIA+ community.

He added the FDA is working closely with the blood collection industry to ensure the timely implementation of the new scheme, and once this individual risk-based approach is in place, the FDA will monitor the safety of the blood supply.

It should be noted that anyone taking medications to treat or prevent HIV cannot donate blood. The FDA noted that people whose infection levels are undetectable don’t transmit HIV during sex; the infection gets transmitted during blood donation as the blood is administered through veins and involves large amounts of fluid, thus making it riskier.

The FDA recommended that people should not stop taking prescribed medications such as PrEP or PEP that help in treating or preventing HIV in order to donate blood.

According to the FDA, implementing an individual risk-based approach will not affect the safety or availability of the US blood supply.

Suggested Reading: Why Centre’s Ban On Transgenders Donating Blood Is Unfair And Homophobic?