Why Are Gay Men Banned From Donatg Blood?</tle><meta name="tle" ntent="Why Are Gay Men Banned From Donatg Blood?" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Gay and bisexual men face a time-based ban on givg blood. But fairer practic uld help save over a ln people a year whout the risk of spreadg HIV. " /><meta name="keywords" ntent="isNoteworthy" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Men's Health" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="128455567236258" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@MensHealthMag" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="KD2AYNrwYjrNCwZthxgElsAAkSgJhWPxx3FkmjgfPt0" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent="The U.S. Has a Blood Shortage. Lettg Gay Men Donate Could Help Solve the Crisis." /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="Gay and bisexual men face an absurd and archaic ban. Changg that uld be a life-saver for lns over time. " /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="never" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="Health" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2022-01-25T21:08:02Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2021-03-29T13:30:00Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="AMERICAN HOSPITALS ARE flood wh sick patients, and not everyone there is battlg Covid-19. Many people need blood transfns— fact, the Amerin Red Cross timat that someone the U.S. requir a blood donatn every two sends. The untry’s blood supply is also nng dangeroly low: About 30 percent of" /><meta name="" ntent="health,Health" /><meta name="" ntent="2021-03-29 13:30:00" /><meta name="sailth.socialtle" ntent="The U.S. Has a Blood Shortage. 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href="/health/a35877353/gay-men-blood-donatn-eligibily/" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Breadcmbs" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="2" /></li></ol></nav><style data-emotn="css sgwfvb">{font-fay:GraphikConnsed,GraphikConnsed-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:3rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.75rem;le-height:1.1;}} em, i{paddg-right:0.3125rem;}</style><h1 class="css-sgwfvb exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>Lettg Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css gpc83z">{lor:#595959;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.125rem;le-height:1.2;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#d2232e;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-gpc83z exadjwu8"><p>The U.S. fac a natnal blood shortage. Overturng a biased and outdated ban is not only the right thg— has enormo life-savg potential. </p></div><style data-emotn="css 61aae5">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}} span{le-height:1.6;}</style><div class="css-61aae5 exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css l61bhe">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><addrs class="css-l61bhe ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 1rxc7sd">{lor:#6F6F6F;display:le;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><span class="css-1rxc7sd ehvvd9m1">By <style data-emotn="css 1nlla76">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#d2232e;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/222996/zachary-zane/" class="css-1nlla76 e1c1bym14">Zachary Zane</a></span><style data-emotn="css w0ebia">{display:le-block;text-transform:upperse;marg-left:0.625rem;}</style><time class="css-w0ebia exadjwu6">Published: Mar 29, 2021</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css wkpw2c">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;}</style><div class="no-prt css-wkpw2c exadjwu15"><style data-emotn="css 1hpjtwr">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;posn:relative;marg-top:0.9375rem;}</style><div class="ntent-hear-actns css-1hpjtwr exadjwu14"><style data-emotn="css 1ws6gao">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;background-lor:#d2232e;borr:th solid #d2232e;borr-radi:0;lor:#ffffff;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row;-ms-flex-directn:row;flex-directn:row;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;marg-bottom:0rem;marg-top:0rem;paddg:0.625rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-transform:upperse;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;width:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.9375rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.9375rem;le-height:1.3;}}{marg-left:1rem;}{outle:0.125rem dotted #000000;outle-offset:0.2rem;}{background-lor:#ffffff;lor:#d2232e;cursor:poter;borr:th solid #595959;} svg{fill:#d2232e;} svg>path{fill:#d2232e;} svg>path{fill:#ffffff;}</style><button data-tooltip-id="article-hear-save" class="ntentSaveButton css-1ws6gao e12nq69g1"><style data-emotn="css 1hnn6">{width:1rem;height:1rem;marg-right:0.625rem;} path{fill:#ffffff;} path{fill:#d2232e;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out 0s;transn:all 0.3s ease--out 0s;}</style><svg xmlns=" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 48 62" class="css-1hnn6 e10k4xbi2"><path fill="#000" fill-le="evenodd" d="M24 46.52 48 61V0H0v61.44l24-14.92ZM5.67 50.9 24 39.5l18.33 11.4V5.7H5.67v45.2Z" clip-le="evenodd"></path></svg>Save Article</button><style data-emotn="css 1w6cje5">{width:160px;text-align:left;lor:#595959;font-fay:Inter,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.70284rem;le-height:1.1;font-weight:normal;letter-spacg:0.045rem;text-transform:none;}</style></div></div></div></div></hear><style data-emotn="css 149neno">{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;max-width:m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2));} .e152u5os0{marg-left:lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2);width:100vw;}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){ .e152u5os0{marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2) - 3.5rem);}}@media(m-width: 90rem){ .e152u5os0{paddg-left:0.1rem;paddg-right:0.1rem;marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - m(lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem), lc(100vw - 1rem * 2)))/-2));}}</style><div class="longform-ntaer ntent-ntaer article-ntaer css-149neno ewisyje2"><style data-emotn="css z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body longform-body css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>AMERICAN HOSPITALS ARE</strong> flood wh sick patients, and not everyone there is battlg Covid-19. Many people need blood transfns— fact, the <style data-emotn="css 38knzi">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.125rem;text-ratn-lor:#d2232e;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#000;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;background-lor:#F3B032;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}</style><a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Amerin Red Cross" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Amerin Red Cross</a><u> timat that </u>someone the U.S. requir a blood donatn every two sends. The untry’s blood supply is also nng dangeroly low: <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="About 30 percent of centers across the natn" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">About 30 percent of centers across the natn</a> have a supply that uld n out one day or ls and mt be refully managed. And more than half of all centers have ls than a three-day stockpile for tim of crisis. </p><p data-no-id="1" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">That’s bee the panmic <u>forced the ncellatn of blood driv</u>—three tim as many were nceled 2020 pared wh the year before, acrdg to the Red Cross. Collectns at high schools and lleg dropped by 50 percent over that same perd. If we don’t get more blood donors fast, we’re not gog to be able to treat people wh ser burns, those havg heart surgeri and an transplants, and those battlg ncer. </p><p data-no-id="2" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">But there is one easily implementable solutn to the natnal blood-supply shortage that’s been available for years and uld be a lifele: allowg gay and bisexual men to donate eely. Right now the U.S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex wh men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex wh another man the past three months. The same is te for women who’ve had sex wh MSM.</p><style data-emotn="css 9417ib">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:45%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="3" class="align-right size-medium embed css-9417ib e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="men's health mvp sign up" tle="men's health mvp sign up" loadg="lazy" width="320" height="100" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css fwfucd">{width:0;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-fwfucd e1xqj1sx1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Click here</a> to jo for more exclive health and fns ntent.</div><style data-emotn="css 1am3yn9">{paddg-left:0rem;le-height:1;}</style><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><style data-emotn="css 11z3u4d">{lor:#6F6F6F;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.03rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.71434rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.72308rem;le-height:1.2;}}</style><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="4" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Allowg MSM equal accs to donate uld crease the total annual blood supply by 2 to 4 percent, addg anywhere om 345,400 to 615,300 pts of blood each year, the <u>Williams Instute at UCLA reported 2014.</u> Rearchers timated would help save the liv of more than a ln people, and experts agree this wouldn’t be puttg anyone at addnal risk of HIV—a fear that many scientists say needs to be put to rt. Ayako Miyasha Ochoa, lead thor of the 2014 report, remas flummoxed as to why, seven years after potg out the obv benef, the change hasn’t happened. “It is my opn that we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science,” she says.</p><p data-no-id="5" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The ntuatn of a MSM-specific barrier to givg is not only limg the blood supply, ’s unnecsary and “rooted homophobia,” explas <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Perry N. Halkis" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Perry N. Halkis</a>, Ph.D., M.P.H., an of the School of Public Health at Rutgers Universy. So far, the FDA has been reluctant to overhl s policy, but as the need for h blood be ever more urgent, health and social-jtice advot are pumpg new energy to the fight. </p><style data-emotn="css f1dz33">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:50%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="6" class="align-center size-small embed css-f1dz33 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="why the ban exists" tle="why the ban exists" loadg="lazy" width="1920" height="597" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>BLOOD-DONATION DISCRIMINATION </strong>agast MSM started <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="1983" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">1983</a> at the height of the AIDS epimic, when the FDA stuted a lifetime ban on any man who’d had sex wh another man sce 1977. “You uld potentially unrstand why this ban me to place nearly four s ago,” says <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Marguera Lightfoot" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Marguera Lightfoot</a>, Ph.D., director of the Center for AIDS Preventn Studi. </p><style data-emotn="css 1mtk2uq">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="8" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science" tle="we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science" loadg="lazy" width="2058" height="2793" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="9" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">At the time, doctors were only begng to exame how exactly HIV was transmted and whom uld affect. “We were still tryg to figure out the transmissn of the vis, and all we knew was that this populatn was disproportnately impacted,” Lightfoot says. Now ’s clear that HIV transmissn isn’t about whether you have sex wh men; ’s about whether you have safe sex, no matter who you are. </p><p data-no-id="10" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">For years, LGBTQ activist groups have enuraged the FDA to remove s rtrictn, notg that the ban isn’t rooted science and perpetuat stigma. Medil experts like Lightfoot agree. “It don’t make sense to have a blanket class of people who n’t donate blood,” she says. “People should be screened for risky sexual behavr, such as not wearg ndoms when havg sex, as opposed to sexual orientatn.”</p><p data-no-id="11" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In 2015, the<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="FDA loosened s rtrictn" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">FDA loosened s rtrictn</a>, permtg gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they hadn’t had sex wh another man the past year. That wasn’t much of a victory, acrdg to LGBTQ activist anizatn<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="GLAAD" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">GLAAD</a>, which quickly untered wh a bg vio starrg actor <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Alan Cummg" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Alan Cummg</a> as the head of a fict ernment agency charge of enuragg abstence. (“That’s right—365 days of celibacy!” Cummg exclaimed wh mock excement before sharg a list of hobbi that quickly turned sexually suggtive.) </p><style data-emotn="css gv3b6u">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:0rem;float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-right:1rem;marg-left:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:left;clear:left;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="12" class="align-left size-large embed css-gv3b6u e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="removg the ban would alleviate the stigma, and uld help save the liv of lns of amerins" tle="removg the ban would alleviate the stigma, and uld help save the liv of lns of amerins" loadg="lazy" width="2130" height="2853" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="13" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">GLAAD then created a petn enuragg the FDA to screen donors based on their exposure to risk and not on sexual orientatn. But took a natnal emergency for thgs to fally shift a b. InApril 2020, as blood donatns plummeted due to the panmic, the FDA updated s rtrictn to a three-month abstence perd before donatg. </p><p data-no-id="14" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Activist anizatns cludg GLAAD say three months is still discrimatn, and they’ve kept phg the FDA to lift the ban entirely. “The time ferrals are based discrimatn and stigma, not science,” says Mathew Lasky, GLAAD’s director of munitns. “We’re ntug to put prsure on the FDA and are workg wh celebri and elected officials to get the word out.”</p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In mid-April, the group shared an open letter, signed by 500 medil profsnals, that stat that the FDA revisn is “a step the right directn, [but] do not go far enough reversg the unscientific ban.” </p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">An FDA spokperson told <em>Men’s Health</em> an email that the agency is now reexamg this issue, cludg “takg to acunt the current body of scientific rmatn, and we are nsirg the possibily of pursug alternative strategi that mata blood safety.”</p><div size="small" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="17" class="align-center size-small embed css-f1dz33 e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="why the blood supply would rema safe" tle="why the blood supply would rema safe" loadg="lazy" width="1920" height="846" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong>PART OF WHAT MAKES</strong> the current ban so archaic is that when was stated, the U.S. didn’t have the sensive tectn methods for HIV donated blood. Now we do. <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Every blood donatn is tted" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">Every blood donatn is tted</a> for HIV two different ways (through antibody analysis and NAT, a molecular technique for blood screeng). As a rult, the rate of accintally acquirg HIV through a blood transfn is extremely low—<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="roughly one 1.5 ln" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">roughly one 1.5 ln</a>.</p><p data-no-id="19" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">There are current tts, specifilly RNA tts, that n tect HIV wh 11 days of exposure. So if the FDA wanted to keep a time-ferral ban, uld utilize the tts and shorten the eligibily rtrictn to men who haven’t had sex wh another man the past 11 days. There is no reason to keep at three months, Halkis says.</p><p data-no-id="20" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Regardls, people who don’t engage behavrs associated wh high risk of HIV exposure shouldn’t need to wa at all to give. For example, if you’re a gay man who wears ndoms durg sex, you lim your risk of ntractg HIV. Same go for gay men who are married or a long-term monogamo relatnship. Addnally, takg PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) daily n crease the likelihood of acquirg HIV through sexual ntact by 99 percent.</p><style data-emotn="css 10ks0yw">{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}</style><div data-embed="loop" data-no-id="21" class="css-10ks0yw e1a0jkxd0"><style data-emotn="css 8atqhb">{width:100%;}</style><style data-emotn="css 1e3dj7m">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-flex-directn:row-reverse;-ms-flex-directn:row-reverse;flex-directn:row-reverse;-webk-align-ems:flex-end;-webk-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-ems:flex-end;posn:relative;width:100%;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;} {visibily:hidn;opacy:0;-webk-transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;}</style><div class="align-center size-medium embed e1a0jkxd1 css-1e3dj7m ejku7p04"><div class="__rp-ntaer css-5mi43p e6l0f0"><img src=" alt="Image no longer available" tle="Image no longer available" width="100%" height="to" dg="async" fetchPrry="high" /></div></div><style data-emotn="css 1qqodx7">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;word-break:break-word;paddg:0rem;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;} em{font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;}</style><div size="medium" class="css-1qqodx7 e1a0jkxd2">Takg PrEP n crease the likelihood of acquirg HIV by 99%. But ers still n’t donate blood immediately.' </div></div><p data-no-id="22" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In late December, the FDA announced is fundg a pilot study that may prove there’s a more logil way to move forward. Conducted tanm wh the natn’s largt blood centers—the Amerin Red Cross, Valant, and OneBlood—the rearch effort will survey 2,000 gay and bisexual men across the untry between the ag of 18 and 30 who have had sex wh at least one man the past three months. Men will answer qutns about their sexual risk. Then their blood will be drawn and tted for HIV as well as anti-retroviral dgs found PrEP. </p><p data-no-id="23" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Rults om this study are expected late 2021. But if the sexual-risk disclosur n vet ndidat as well as or better than the time-based ban, the FDA may e that rmatn to potentially change s donatn procr for MSM. “The FDA remas mted to nsirg alternativ to time-based ferral by generatg the scientific evince that is tend to support an dividual-risk-asssment-based blood-donor qutnnaire,” the agency nfirmed via email. </p><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="24" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="untri that have moved away om discrimatory time ferral bans have not seen an crease hiv posive blood" tle="untri that have moved away om discrimatory time ferral bans have not seen an crease hiv posive blood" loadg="lazy" width="2166" height="3045" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-11z3u4d e6iqd2">.</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="25" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The FDA has not said when that policy change might take effect. The earlit might happen would be 2022, says Lightfoot. It might also take longer if the agency cis that addnal nfirmatnal studi are need. But there’s already plenty of precent that this ncept n work: If the ban were to be lifted, the Uned Stat would jo the ranks of untri cludg Italy, Brazil, the UK, Mexi, and Israel, all of whom have adopted a risk-based qutnnaire to screen blood donors stead of lg out all men who’ve had sex wh other men a set perd. </p><p data-no-id="26" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“The untri that have moved away om blanket, discrimatory time-ferral bans have not seen an crease [HIV-posive] blood,” Lasky says. “We already know that the three-month discrimatory ban do not align wh science, so why are we dog this study aga?”</p><p data-no-id="27" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The policy change uld have a signifint posive effect on the mental health of gay and bisexual men, too. While CDC data shows that straight men and women make up roughly 24 percent of new HIV s, Halkis says the MSM-specific ban creat “others” out of those exclud. “It mak them feel ls than,” he says. This sort of tegoril humanizatn n<a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="lead to a slew of negative mental-health out" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0">lead to a slew of negative mental-health out</a>, cludg prsn, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and tennci. It also puts gay and bisexual men at higher risk for acquirg HIV over time. </p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">“Social and stctural factors that e gay men to feel othered e them to engage risky sexual behavr,” Halkis says. So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly.”</p><p data-no-id="29" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Removg the ban would alleviate that stigma and create a new rource that uld help save the liv of lns of Amerins. To make that happen faster, Halkis remends makg your voice heard, no matter your sexual orientatn. “Like wh all social-jtice matters, is imperative that that alli of the LGBTQ+ populatns work to voice their ncerns about the ongog blood ban,” he says. </p><p data-no-id="30" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">The first step is to sign GLAAD’s petn at <a href=" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="" class="body-lk css-38knzi et3p2gv0"></a>. You then n—and should—te those around you, “sce many people, cludg gay and bi men, don’t know that this ban exists,” adds Lasky. Lastly, “engage wh Congrs. Let them know you don’t support discrimatory practic that ban gay and bisexual men om dog their civic duty.”</p><p data-no-id="31" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Givg everyone an equal chance to help one another shouldn’t be a difficult cisn—pecially when uny and healg remas a val need. </p><style data-emotn="css 2ok9l4">{marg-top:1.875rem;borr-top:th solid #595959;}</style><div data-jam-id="thor-b" class="css-2ok9l4 e13rjwo40"></div><style data-emotn="css ciejky">{clear:both;marg-top:1.25rem;}</style><div id="journey-le" class="css-ciejky e1cslvxz0"></div><style data-emotn="css 79elbk">{posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-79elbk eg8z2o90"><div class="css-79elbk e1tp40ll1"><div data-anchor-id="P0-0" class="css-0 e1tp40ll0"></div></div><style data-emotn="css hi6ssp">{display:block;grid-area:article_body;grid-lumn:article_body-start/article_body-end;grid-row:to;jtify-self:center;marg:1.25rem 0 0;}@media prt{{display:none;}}@media(max-width: 30rem){{width:100%;}}@media(max-width: 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red cross gay ban

The FDA said Friday would allow gay and bisexual monogamo men to donate blood.

Contents:

GAY MEN STILL FACE HURDL TO DONATE BLOOD AMID NATNAL SHORTAGE

Learn about feral regulatns related to blood donatn by Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and Genr non-nformg (LGBTQ+) dividuals. * red cross gay ban *

S., the Red Cross, along wh One Blood, Valant and partner LGBTQ+ muny health centers, are participatg a pilot study fund by the FDA select ci that uld potentially lead to chang for blood donor eligibily creria for gay and bisexual men.

Dpe this urgent need for donatns, people who have sex wh gay or bisexual men are still facg rtrictns on their abily to give Food and Dg Admistratn bars people who have had sex wh gay or bisexual men om donatg blood for three months followg the most recent sexual ntact bee of fears of HIV the blood agency changed the ferral perd om 12 months to three months November 2020 as blood donatns fell and hospals faced cril shortag durg the first year of the COVID-19 advot, cludg the Human Rights Campaign, say the FDA is movg too slowly on removg the rtrictn, sayg that 's an outright ban on the abily of people, particularly gay and bisexual men, to donate blood. Rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men, who are nsired to be at high risk for HIV or AIDS transmissn, date back to the and bisexual men unrgo dividual risk asssments stead of time-based bans untri around the world, recently cludg Greece and France, acrdg to ternatnal reports.

THE RED CROSS IS CHANGG S POLICY ON BLOOD DONATNS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Gay and bisexual men are still rtricted om givg blood, a move that LGBTQ activists ll discrimatory. * red cross gay ban *

The event was held to prott feral l that effectively ban gay men om donatg Bispg/Star Tribune via Getty Imag, FILEValant told ABC News a new statement that rearchers are halfway toward s goal of enrollg 2, 000 participants across eight ci: Washgton D. They enurage gay and bisexual men who are 18 to 39 years old to participate the FDA, a statement to ABC News, said that this study uld generate data that will help the agency terme if a donor's dividual risk asssment and qutnnaire would be jt as effective rcg the risk of HIV the blood supply as the time-based ferrals the FDA already has FDA also said do not have a specific timele for when the studi will be pleted but that is "mted to gatherg the scientific data that n support alternative donor ferral polici that mata a high level of blood safety. In addn to gay and bisexual men, the Red Cross’ policy also affects women who have sex wh an MSM man and donors wh recent tattoos or piercgs.

LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

Gay and bisexual men face a time-based ban on givg blood. But fairer practic uld help save over a ln people a year whout the risk of spreadg HIV. * red cross gay ban *

But there is one easily implementable solutn to the natnal blood-supply shortage that’s been available for years and uld be a lifele: allowg gay and bisexual men to donate eely. S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex wh men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex wh another man the past three months.

BIN ADMISTRATN SPEAKS OUT ON FERAL BLOOD DONATN POLICY IMPACTG GAY MEN AMID NATNAL BLOOD SHORTAGE

For the first time, the Bin admistratn is mentg on the Food and Dg Admistratn’s long-time blood donatn guil impactg gay men. * red cross gay ban *

“It is my opn that we ntue to have a real problem wh laws and regulatns based on fear rather than science, ” she ntuatn of a MSM-specific barrier to givg is not only limg the blood supply, ’s unnecsary and “rooted homophobia, ” explas Perry N. ”In 2015, theFDA loosened s rtrictn, permtg gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they hadn’t had sex wh another man the past year. Conducted tanm wh the natn’s largt blood centers—the Amerin Red Cross, Valant, and OneBlood—the rearch effort will survey 2, 000 gay and bisexual men across the untry between the ag of 18 and 30 who have had sex wh at least one man the past three months.

The first step is to sign GLAAD’s petn at You then n—and should—te those around you, “sce many people, cludg gay and bi men, don’t know that this ban exists, ” adds Lasky.

AMERIN RED CROSS FIGHTS BAN ON GAYS' BLOOD

For two s, the Food and Dg Admistratn has prohibed gay and bisexual men om givg blood as a preutn agast AIDS. But three major blood llectn agenci, cludg the Amerin Red Cross, argue the practice is no longer warranted. The FDA disagre. Joel Gsberg, head of the Gay and Lbian Medil Associatn, says the ban unfairly discrimat. * red cross gay ban *

For the first time, the Bin admistratn is mentg on the Food and Dg Admistratn's long-time blood donatn guil, which are impactg the LGBTQ+ muny by preventg gay and bisexual men om beg eligible blood statement, ma by a Whe Hoe official exclively to ABC News, acknowledg the paful origs of the policy and on the heels of the Amerin Red Cross clarg their first-ever natnal blood crisis last week, as suppli at hospals and blood banks bee dangeroly low. It also clus gay and bisexual COVID-19 survivors who wish to donate nvalcent plasma, rich wh antibodi, for rtrictn on blood donatns me out of the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s, when limed ttg technology and pacy existed to screen blood for HIV. In 1983, the FDA implemented a lifetime ban on blood donatns om all men who had sex wh men after FDA removed the lifetime ban and enacted a 12-month ferral perd 2015, meang gay or bisexual men had to absta om havg sex wh other men for at least 12 months before donatg blood.

COLUMN: TWO GAY MEN WALK TO A RED CROSS BLOOD DONATN CENTER ...

For s, fears over HIV tatg the blood supply all but banned gay men at Red Cross donatn centers. Now that the l are changg, a Malibu uple joed a blood drive * red cross gay ban *

So to give you an example, take a gay male uple that's been together for 20 years, and they have a monogamo relatnship and they have tted negative for HIV. I'm ncerned that they haven't perhaps ma as much effort as they should have to make sure that the policy is science based, bee the subject here is gay men.

WHY DO FDA BAN ‘GAY’ BLOOD?

Long cricized as discrimatory, the policy has prevented many gay and bisexual men om donatg blood. The Food and Dg Admistratn revealed a draft of s new approach on Friday. * red cross gay ban *

MARTIN: Given a number of other sort of social and health ncerns that gay men already face, why is this an issue for you to take on, for your anizatn to take on?

IT’S LONG PAST TIME TO END THE FDA’S GAY BLOOD BAN

* red cross gay ban *

GINSBERG: When gay men's bodi are stigmatized as dirty, regardls of the behavr that they make, you're sendg the msage that HIV risks and other risks of sexually transmted diseas is not about your behavr.

FDA PROPOS ALLOWG GAY AND BISEXUAL MONOGAMO MEN TO DONATE BLOOD

The Amerin Red Cross has partnered wh the FDA and several other blood centers for the ADVANCE Study to gather data that uld lead to chang donor eligibily for gay and bisexual men and the LGBTQ+ muny. * red cross gay ban *

MARTIN: I thk that the qutn that many people would have is - and I unrstand that you're not a doctor - but do you believe that gay men who are engaged safe sex practic nsistently n safely donate blood? There's absolutely no risk for a gay man who is HIV-negative and only have safe sex wh other people who are HIV-negative or who has any kd of sex wh men who are HIV negative - 's scientifilly impossible for that person to ntract HIV or to spread . Given all the ways that people n opt out whout stigma, is still the se that gay men are sgled out by their - by the cisn to not allow them to donate as a group?

Afterward, they snacked on mi-Oreos and sipped om ty juice all seemed very this was a totally new experience for Jeremy Walker, 55, and his hband, Judd Stark, 59, gay men who me of age at the ighteng dawn of the AIDS era.

ADVANCE STUDY ON DONATN ELIGIBILY REQUIREMENTS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Learn more about the current feral policy on gay and bisexual men donatg blood. * red cross gay ban *

Five years later, amid the COVID- 19 panmic 2020, the FDA shortened the abstence perd to three jt last month, the agency falized new guil for termg the eligibily of each prospective blood donor — not jt gay men or, say, sex workers — dividually, wh a seri of qutns about their recent sexual history.

“I haven’t ed the word ‘anal’ this much sce the ’80’s, ” Stark joked wele change public policy at a time when gay and trans rights are creasgly unr attack, empowered by an ultranservative Supreme Court. " In craftg the new guidance, the FDA has been lookg to the rults of a study of about 1, 600 gay and bisexual men to velop screeng qutns that n intify potential donors who are most likely to be fected wh HIV.

CRICS LL TO END THREE-MONTH CELIBACY REQUIREMENT FOR GAY, BISEXUAL MEN AMID BLOOD SHORTAGE

Amid a natnal blood shortage, lawmakers and LGBTQ advot are llg on the FDA to ease donor rtrictns on gay and bisexual men. * red cross gay ban *

Blood supply is dangeroly low bee of a sharp drop donatns durg the COVID-19 so, gay and bisexual men, clilly referred to as “men who have sex wh men” or MSM, are still beg told that their blood is too “dangero” to donate. MSM mt be celibate for three months to give blood bee of a Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) policy datg back 40 years to the onset of the AIDS ban do harm by perpetuatg the stigma that HIV/AIDS is a “gay disease, ” said Jason Cianctto, GMHC’s vice print of munitns and policy. People livg wh HIV also n’t FDA’s blanket ferral clus many HIV-negative people wh a low-to-zero risk of HIV fectn, and accurately suggts all gay and bisexual men are livg wh stance, although Cianctto and his hband are not an open relatnship, the three-month celibacy perd still appli.

Dpe enormo advanc scientific knowledge about HIV transmissn and the advent of highly accurate blood screeng tts, the FDA has not changed s policy targetg gay and bisexual HIV and AIDS was rrectly labeled a “gay disease” the early 1980s, the FDA imposed a lifetime blood donatn ban on any man who’d had sex wh another man sce 1977, along wh sex workers, traveno dg ers and people livg wh HIV. This wdow is signifintly ls than the three months of celibacy required by the ’s roleFor s, GMHC has been fightg the discrimatory ban bee falsely stigmatiz gay and bisexual men as rriers of a “gay disease. Prompted by the COVID-19 epimic, the FDA December 2020 signed off on a pilot study for three major blood centers, the Amerin Red Cross, Valant and OneBlood, to do jt ADVANCE Study is recg 2, 000 gay and bisexual men eight ci to supply a blood sample and answer behavral qutns about HIV risk factors.

They have not yet been able to rec the requise 2000 gay and bisexual men, perhaps bee the study self, by focg solely on this populatn, perpetuat the stigma of “gay blood. ”“At a time when I was still figurg out my inty, the ernment was affirmg harmful thgs I had been raised to believe about myself: If you are gay, you will die alone om AIDS, ” he hasn’t been advotg all the years to endg the discrimatory ferral perd jt so gay and bisexual men n give blood, Cianctto said. ”Thirty years after Cianctto’s troublg experience, a gay male teen tryg to do their civic duty and give blood will still be asked if they’ve had sex wh a man—and turned away if the answer is y.

GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD: AMERIN RED CROSS WANTS BAN EASED

The Amerin Red Cross is askg the Food and Dg Admistratn to nsir changg s blood donatn policy for gay men. * red cross gay ban *

Incredibly, regulatns put place durg the gay panic that characterized the emergence of HIV/AIDS are still spirually place today — and if the natn’s regulatory bodi are ser about endg this blood crisis, the first people they should be lookg to is queer 1986, followg years of polil prsure om all sis of the Amerin polil spectm, the FDA officially began ferrg cisgenr men who had had sex wh another man (MSM) om blood donatn, wh the ban place if they’d had gay sex om 1977 onward.

In the meantime, heterosexual people who have equent unprotected sex are still seen as safer blood donors on paper than any given gay or bi man who is a monogamo legacy of gay panic that prompted the ial bans the 1980s, when HIV/AIDS was still assumed to be a disease uniquely plagug the gay male muny, is still very much alive the “progrsive” half measur.

HISTORIC BLOOD SHORTAGE FUELS LLS FOR FDA TO EASE RTRICTNS ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD

LGBTQ+ supporters ramp up prsure on the FDA to revise l on gay men&#039;s blood donatns after Red Cross clar natnal blood crisis. * red cross gay ban *

It’s an sult that misterprets the real reason HIV/AIDS is still so prevalent the LGBTQ+ muny — ’s not that gay sex is more prone to STI transmissn than straight sex, but that gay men were left to die by unrg stutns for s, and that gay Black and Late men livg poverty today don’t have as much accs to meditns like PrEP as their more affluent whe and straight two dozen lawmakers urged the FDA to update “s discrimatory blood donor ferral polici for men who have sex wh men. Food and Dg Admistratn announced Friday will ease blood donatn rtrictns on gay and bisexual men, cludg allowg those monogamo relatnships to policy change, which was revealed new draft guidance, after years of urgg by public health experts, blood banks and LGBTQ advocy groups.

FDA EAS BLOOD DONATN BAN ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN AFTER YEARS OF PROTT

In 2020, amid severe blood shortag durg the start of the COVID-19 panmic, the FDA shortened the abstence perd to 90 policy change means gay and bisexual men monogamo relatnships n donate whout abstag om sex as long as they tt HIV negative and are practicg safe also means the U. By now maybe you’ve heard the excg news: The Amerin Red Cross has partnered wh the FDA and several other blood centers for the ADVANCE Study, an opportuny to gather data that uld lead to chang donor eligibily requirements to be more clive for gay and bisexual men and members of the LGBTQ+ muny.

In December 2015, the Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) moved om a lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donatg blood to a ferral of one year for any man who has had sex wh another man durg the past 12 months. "Last year the Amerin Red Cross announced that was facg a cril shortage of blood, and me unr scty for still nyg gay and bisexual men, and some s -- transgenr women. The anizatn offered $5 Amazon gift rds to those who donated that Augt an attempt to boost blood suppli -- this offer was obvly not extend to elligible gay Amerin Red Cross has shown a willgns to change the policy, but they are rtricted by the current U.

Amid a natnal blood shortage, LGBTQ advot and more than two dozen members of Congrs are llg on the Food and Dg Admistratn to further ease donor rtrictns on sexually active gay and bisexual be eligible to donate blood the Uned Stat, men who have sex wh men mt absta om same-sex sexual activy for 90 days. ”“This is a crisis of the FDA’s own makg, ” said Jay Franzone, an LGBTQ advote who remaed abstent for a year to donate blood January 2017, abidg by former and more strgent FDA rtrictns for gay and bisexual men. Given advanc blood screeng and safety technology, a time-based policy for gay and bisexual men is not scientifilly sound, ntu to effectively exclu an entire group of people, and do not meet the urgent mands of the moment, ” the group Democratic members of the Hoe Oversight Commtee, addn to two openly LGBTQ members of the Hoe — Rep.

MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WILL NOW BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD UNR FALIZED FDA L

If the FDA were to lift donor bans for men who have sex wh men, the annual blood supply would crease by 2 to 4 percent or 345, 400 to 615, 300 pts of blood annually, acrdg to the Williams Instute, a thk tank at UCLA School of FDA self said a statement that while is “nsirg the possibily of pursug alternative strategi that mata blood safety, ” more rmatn is need to revise the three month ferral perd of 2019, an timated 70 percent of new HIV fectns — 24, 500 of 34, 800 — the Uned Stat were among gay and bisexual men, acrdg the Centers for Disease Control and Richard Benjam, the former chief medil officer at the Amerin Red Cross who is now the chief medil officer at the bmedil products pany Ces Corp., argued that based on what the scientific muny knows about HIV ttg, the wag perd is still moot. Several other untri — cludg the Uned Kgdom, Canada and Greece — have lifted or moved to end such rtrictns on gay and bisexual men donatg blood throughout the panmic, wh France announcg on Tuday that will lift s limatns advocy groups lled on the U. We regnize the hurt the prev FDA policy that rtricted gay and bisexual men om blood donatn has ed and that the are jt the first steps repairg relatnships wh the broar LGBTQ+ muny.

-- The Amerin Red Cross is askg the Food and Dg Admistratn to nsir changg s blood donatn policy for gay now, the FDA bans men om donatg blood for one year after havg sex wh another le me 2015 after s of an fe ban on blood donatns by men who have had sex wh other Red Cross is now remendg a three-month ban, which is the same policy ed Great Bra and agency released a followg statement on Thursday:The Amerin Red Cross seeks to build an clive environment that embrac diversy for all those who engage wh our lifavg missn.

Prsure is mountg on the Food and Dg Admistratn to elimate longstandg rtrictns on gay or bisexual men donatg blood the Uned Stat as the blood shortage reach a dire level. Senators penned a letter to the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Servic Thursday, urgg them to replace the "discrimatory" le that requir gay and bisexual men to absta om sexual activy for three months before donatg blood. The FDA, which is rponsible for the regulatory oversight of Ameri's blood supply, first imposed a ban on gay and bisexual men donatg blood 1983, durg the early years of the HIV/AIDS epimic.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* RED CROSS GAY BAN

Opn: Liftg the stigma agast gay men brgs new blood donors to the Red Cross - Los Angel Tim .

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