GLAAD lls out FDA for “workg to mence a pilot study” to end ban on blood and plasma om gay and bi men | GLAAD

Contents:

• GAY MEN STILL UNABLE TO DONATE BLOOD AND PLASMA SPE NEW FDA GUIL. HERE'S WHY.
• CAN GAY MEN DONATE PLASMA?
• ANDY COHEN SAYS HE ULDN'T DONATE PLASMA BEE HE IS GAY
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS
• PLASMA DONATN REFERRAL FOR GAY MEN REMAS OPEN EU’S BLOOD REVISN
• DPE BLOOD SUPPLI CRILLY LOW, SOME GAY MEN STILL CANNOT DONATE PLASMA
• TAKE ACTN NOW: GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE UNFAIRLY BANNED OM DONATG PLASMA FOR EXPERIMENTAL COVID-19 TREATMENT
• GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL
• BIN ADMISTRATN SPEAKS OUT ON FERAL BLOOD DONATN POLICY IMPACTG GAY MEN AMID NATNAL BLOOD SHORTAGE
• BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO SOURCE PLASMA DONATN BY GAY, BISEXUAL AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN UNR REVISED ELIGIBILY CRERIA: PROTOL FOR A MULTIPLE STAKEHOLR FEASIBILY STUDY
• GLAAD CALLS OUT FDA FOR “WORKING TO COMMENCE A PILOT STUDY” TO END BAN ON BLOOD AND PLASMA FROM GAY AND BI MEN
• GLAAD LLS OUT FDA FOR “WORKG TO MENCE A PILOT STUDY” TO END BAN ON BLOOD AND PLASMA OM GAY AND BI MEN
• FDA REVISES ITS BAN ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATING BLOOD FOLLOWING PUBLIC PRESSURE FROM GLAAD, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, LGBTQ AMERICANS AND ALLIES

GAY MEN STILL UNABLE TO DONATE BLOOD AND PLASMA SPE NEW FDA GUIL. HERE'S WHY.

After the Food and Dg Admistratn changed the l for blood donatns om gay and bisexual men earlier this month, ronavis survivor L Estok saw an opportuny to help other patients rever om the years, the FDA has rtricted men who have had sex wh men the precedg year om donatg blood, but loosened s l on April 2 as a way to addrs a sharp drop donors durg the ronavis days, Estok tried to donate blood plasma for a tt program New York Cy that treats severely ill COVID-19 patients wh plasma om patients who have veloped antibodi and revered om the disease. He said he was turned away after revealg he was gay. "NBC News found that spe the le change hundreds of the natn’s blood centers are still unable to accept blood om gay men, even though there's a sperate need for blood at U.

Both the Red Cross and Ameri's Blood Centers, which together reprent 800 banks natnwi, told NBC News they haven't been able to accept and other gay men who have tried to give blood sce April 2 have been unable to do so bee many blood donatn centers have not yet traed staffers or updated their puter systems to acmodate the new le.

CAN GAY MEN DONATE PLASMA?

"I was not expectg the reactn I got, " said Estok on when he told the staff he was gay. "An NYBC staffer nied that a potential donor would be asked if he were gay, sayg the donor would stead be asked about sexual activy wh another man durg the past 12 months.

"Not only is imperative that gay and bisexual men who are now able to donate blood be allowed to do so whout lay, the FDA mt also lift the 3 month ferral s entirety, " said Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, a LGBTQ advocy anizatn. Thanks to efforts by LGBTQ+ advot, the FDA revised s l 2020, allowg gay men to donate blood and plasma. However, gay men still face stricter eligibily requirements when to plasma donatn.

ANDY COHEN SAYS HE ULDN'T DONATE PLASMA BEE HE IS GAY

Can Gay Men Donate Plasma?

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

Thanks to new FDA regulatns released 2020, gay men n donate plasma. Gay men mt absta om sex wh another man for three months prr to donatg plasma.

Even if a gay man is a long-term, monogamo relatnship wh another man, he still mt absta om sex wh that man for three months prr to donatn. Navigatg the new regulatns on plasma donatn for gay men n be plited.

PLASMA DONATN REFERRAL FOR GAY MEN REMAS OPEN EU’S BLOOD REVISN

Addnal Consiratns for Gay Men Donatg Plasma. Even though gay men are allowed to donate plasma, there are addnal nsiratns.

Gay men mt absta om sex wh other men for three months before donatn. For gay men who have sex wh men, that means they'll need to absta nsistently to donate monthly. " "I was told that, due to antiquated and discrimatory guil by the FDA to prevent HIV, I am eligible to donate blood bee I'm a gay man.

Pampee Young, chief medil officer of the anizatn, told gay or bisexual men donate blood or plasma? The new guil rce the donatn ferral perd for sexually active gay and bisexual men om 12 months to three. That 90-day perd is signifintly ls than the rtrictns that existed before the panmic, but Cohen argu any rtrictn based on sexual orientatn is herently homophobic s practice.

DPE BLOOD SUPPLI CRILLY LOW, SOME GAY MEN STILL CANNOT DONATE PLASMA

"Even the new relaxed l require gay men to absta om sex for three months, whether they're a monogamo relatnship or not before givg blood, though no such blanket rtrictns exist for people of other sexual orientatns, " he apologize, this vio has pots out that all donated blood, no matter the person's sexual orientatn, is screened for HIV. 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.

Origally, gay and bisexual men were pletely prohibed om donatg blood. " 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. So monogamo gay men uld start donatg blood aga sometime 2023.

TAKE ACTN NOW: GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE UNFAIRLY BANNED OM DONATG PLASMA FOR EXPERIMENTAL COVID-19 TREATMENT

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.

GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN ARE NOW ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD IN ENGLAND, STLAND AND WAL

“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.

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

”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.

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.

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.

BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO SOURCE PLASMA DONATN BY GAY, BISEXUAL AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN UNR REVISED ELIGIBILY CRERIA: PROTOL FOR A MULTIPLE STAKEHOLR FEASIBILY STUDY

”The policy change uld have a signifint posive effect on the mental health of gay and bisexual men, too. It also puts gay and bisexual men at higher risk for acquirg HIV over time.

GLAAD CALLS OUT FDA FOR “WORKING TO COMMENCE A PILOT STUDY” TO END BAN ON BLOOD AND PLASMA FROM GAY AND BI MEN

“Social and stctural factors that e gay men to feel othered e them to engage risky sexual behavr, ” Halkis says.

GLAAD LLS OUT FDA FOR “WORKG TO MENCE A PILOT STUDY” TO END BAN ON BLOOD AND PLASMA OM GAY AND BI MEN

So a ban like this isn’t jt harmful to the Amerin public; “’s credibly harmful to the gay muny, both emotnally and physilly. 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. Let them know you don’t support discrimatory practic that ban gay and bisexual men om dog their civic duty.

FDA REVISES ITS BAN ON GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN DONATING BLOOD FOLLOWING PUBLIC PRESSURE FROM GLAAD, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, LGBTQ AMERICANS AND ALLIES

I volunteered: ‘I’m a gay man. ‘If this is about me beg gay, the FDA recently relaxed their rtrictn on gay and bi men donatg…’.