FDA Considers New Blood Donation Rules For Gay And Bisexual Men

Instead of relying on blanket assementments or questionnaires, the US Food and Drug Administration announced it would consider shifting its blood donation policy towards a more individualized strategy for gay and bisexual men. 

As the nation suffers from an ongoing national blood shortage, the agency said it would be using data from a donor eligibility study to “likely support a policy transition to individual risk-based donor questions” instead. 

While no further details have been given, the Wall Street Journal quoted sources familiar with the plans as speculating that the forthcoming changes could let more gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships donate blood. 

Potential donors who sign up to give blood will be asked to indicate if they’ve had a new sexual partner in the last three months, and if they had anal intercourse during that period. Those who have will be turned away. 

At the moment, as per CNN, the current policy requires gay or bisexual men who’ve had sex with other men to wait three months before they’re allowed to donate blood. 

Sarah Kate Ellis, President of GLAAD, said that the FDA’s considerations were an “overdue move,” and that its community “will not stop advocating for the FDA to lift all restrictions against qualified LGBTQ blood donor candidates.” 

“As LGBTQ leaders and medical experts have been saying for years: bans and restrictions on blood donations from gay or bisexual men are rooted in stigma, not science,” she added. 

[via CNN and Wall Street Journal, cover image via Sopone Nawoot | Dreamstime.com]