FDA plans to lift blanket rtrictns on blood donatns om gay men

Contents:

• FDA DROPS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS SPECIFIC TO GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• FDA LIFTS BAN ON BLOOD DONATN FOR GAY, BISEXUAL MEN
• MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WILL NOW BE ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD UNR FALIZED FDA L
• BIN ADMISTRATN SPEAKS OUT ON FERAL BLOOD DONATN POLICY IMPACTG GAY MEN AMID NATNAL BLOOD SHORTAGE
• FDA LIFTS LIFETIME BAN ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD
• WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?
• CANADA LIFTS RTRICTNS ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD
• FDA LIFTS DISCRIMATORY BLOOD DONATN BAN FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN
• FDA PLANS TO LIFT BLANKET RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS OM GAY MEN
• CANADA TO LIFT BLOOD DONATN BAN ON SEXUALLY ACTIVE GAY, BISEXUAL MEN
• SHOULD GAYS BE ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD?
• LETTG GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD COULD HELP SOLVE A MAJOR HEALTH CRISIS

FDA DROPS BLOOD DONATN RTRICTNS SPECIFIC TO GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

The Food and Dg Admistratn has dropped all rtrictns specific to gay and bisexual men donatg blood, a move long anticipated by public health experts and gay rights new guidance, first proposed January and falized Thursday, will not rtrict donatns based on someone's sexual orientatn or genr inty, and stead move towards an "dividual risk-based" approach to rce the risk of accintal HIV fectn through the blood donatn FDA origally banned donatns om gay and bisexual men the midst of the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis. For example, the HIV epimic has spread far beyond gay and bisexual men, wh women acuntg for roughly 1 5 new HIV diagnos the Uned Stat, acrdg to the most recent CDC data available.

Peter Ch-Hong, an fect disease specialist at the Universy of California, San 2015, the FDA relaxed an outright ban on donatns om gay and bisexual men, but the 2015 guidance asked men to absta om sex for at least one year before Thursday's falized guidance, every prospective donor will be asked about their sexual history wh the past three months -- regardls of their sexual orientatn. ""The FDA's cisn to follow science and issue new remendatns for all Amerins, regardls of sexual orientatn, who selflsly donate blood to help save liv, signals the begng of the end of a dark and discrimatory past rooted fear and homophobia, " Sarah Kate Ellis, the print and CEO of GLAAD, said a statement, however, took issue wh one part of the updated remendatn, which urg ferral for anyone takg HIV meditns -- cludg people who are HIV negative who are takg meditns lled PrEP to prevent ferral perd uld ntue to erect barriers to LGBTQ blood donors, she said. Attorneys general om 19 stat and the District of Columbia are urgg the feral ernment to change s policy on blood donatns by gay and bisexual men, movg to guil based on dividual risk factors rather than rtrictg entire groups of early April, the Food and Dg Admistratn put out new guidance for U.

FDA LIFTS BAN ON BLOOD DONATN FOR GAY, BISEXUAL MEN

"It not, for stance, that "strict applitn of this policy uld still bar a gay man who revers om COVID-19 om donatg nvalcent plasma to his crilly ill hband, even if they are both HIV-negative and even if their relatnship is exclively monogamo.... The Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) has lifted a s-long ban on sexually active gay and bisexual men om donatg blood, overlg a rtrictn datg back to the 1980s AIDS crisis. Advot have long fought that the l were discrimatory agast sexually active gay and bisexual men.

“It’s a discrimatory policy that assum that HIV is a gay disease, and is very much not, ” GLAAD’s Tony Morrison told NPR. Is movg to ease rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men and other groups that tradnally face higher risks of HIV. The Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) said Thursday had officially elimated rtrictns that had prevly prohibed many blood donatns by gay and bisexual men — a longstandg policy that crics say is discrimatory.

Wh the updated guil, most gay and bisexual men who are a monogamo relatnship wh a man will no longer have to rea om sex orr to donate blood.

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

At first, gay and bisexual men were pletely prohibed om donatg blood.

Print and CEO of GLAAD Sarah Kate Ellis echoed that approval a statement, sayg "The FDA's cisn to follow science and issue new remendatns for all Amerins, regardls of sexual orientatn, who selflsly donate blood to help save liv, signals the begng of the end of a dark and discrimatory past rooted fear and homophobia, " However, Ellis said while the new guidance is a step the right directn, there is still a barrier for LGBTQ+ people who are on PrEP, an FDA-approved dg proven to prevent the transmissn of HIV, who may want to donate blood. 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. Policy holds that sexually active gay or bisexual men mt absta om sex for at least three months before they're allowed to donate blood.

The le appli to gay and bisexual men who are monogamo and those who tt HIV negative and are practicg safe sex. It also clus gay and bisexual COVID-19 survivors who wish to donate nvalcent plasma, rich wh antibodi, for ’s PicksThe 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.

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

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.

FDA remends gay and bisexual men wa a year before donatg blood. Prev guidance banned gay men om donatg for life. The lifetime ban of blood donatns om gay and bisexual men was implemented by the FDA 1983 at the start of the AIDS crisis, when ltle was known about the spread of the disease.

FDA LIFTS LIFETIME BAN ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD

“The Uned Stat ernment has to stop reactg to HIV like is the early 1980s, ” said Kelsey Louie, CEO for Gay Men’s Health Crisis said. The Human Rights Campaign lled the change a “step the right directn, ” but said the new policy, “still falls short of a fully acceptable solutn bee ntu to stigmatize gay and bisexual men. In addn to changg the lifetime ban for homosexual and bisexual men donatg blood, the FDA also ma remendatns regardg “donor tnal materials, donor history qutnnair and acpanyg materials, as well as donor requalifitn and product management procr, ” the release said.

WHAT ARE THE BLOOD DONATN L GLOBALLY FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN?

(This May 11 story rrects date and time reference for France fal par)LONDON (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Countri around the world are reviewg rtrictns on blood donatns by gay and bisexual men imposed durg the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, wh some removg blanket bans and others rcg wag perds after gay ’s Supreme Court led on Friday that a 12-month ferral perd for gay and bi men to give blood was unnstutnal, a policy LGBT+ mpaigners had long argued was discrimatory given morn blood-screeng now, Brazil’s ernment will have to treat gay and bisexual men the same as heterosexual men when donatg blood.

It uld wre a new law that restat the ban, but s posn is not yet blood suppli have e unr prsure due to the ronavis panmic, lls have grown for ernments to replace abstence perds for men who have sex wh men to donate blood wh dividual risk-based month, the Uned Stat and Northern Ireland cut their abstence perds, while Atralia said plans to do are the l erng blood donatn by gay and bi men around the world:- Countri that impose lifelong bans on gay and bisexual men donatg blood clu Croatia, Iceland, Malaysia, Slovenia, Sgapore, Tridad and Tobago and Ukrae- At least 17 untri now have no rtrictns, cludg Argenta, Italy, Rsia, South Ai, Spa and, as of January this year, Hungary- In April 2020, the Uned Stat cut s celibacy perd om 12 months to three months amid a blood shortage- Last month, Northern Ireland also rced s ferral perd om one year to three months, brgg to le wh regulatns the rt of the Uned Kgdom- Some untri differentiate between blood products and blood general, but Bra men who have had sex wh another man the last three months and revered om Covid-19 nnot donate their plasma to a ronavis treatment trial- Most untri do not mentn whether takg Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a HIV-preventn dg, affects gay and bi men’s abily to donate blood.

Bra says s three-month abstence perd appli regardls of whether someone tak PrEP or not- When Atralia announced s tentn to cut the abstence perd om 12 months to three April, said people takg PrEP would still have a 12-month abstence perd- Atria lifted a blanket ban on men who have sex wh men givg blood, replacg wh a 12-month abstence perd for gay and bi men December 2019- In March, Denmark lifted s lifelong ban, implementg a prevly announced wag perd of four months- France has had a wag perd of 12 months sce 2016, when lifted a ban on gay and bisexual men givg blood that had been place sce 1983Sourc: Thomson Rters Foundatn rearch, RtersReportg by Rachel Savage @rachelmsavage and Elsa Ohlen; Addnal reportg by Fab Teixeira; Edg by Helen Popper and Hugo Greenhalgh. OTTAWA (AP) — Health Canada on Thursday lifted rtrictns on gay men donatg blood, a move Prime Mister Jt T said was “good news for all Canadians” but had taken too long.

CANADA LIFTS RTRICTNS ON GAY MEN DONATG BLOOD

Health Canada approved the requt by Canadian Blood Servic to end the policy that rtricts homosexuals om donatg blood for three months after engagg gay sex. The policy began 1992 as an outright ban on gay men donatg blood followg a tated blood sndal.

Several chang were later ma to the blood donatn regime until ferral perds for donatns by gay men were lowered om a lifetime ban to three months 2019. The rtrictns, which date back to the advent of the AIDS epimic, meant that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex wh men were eligible as donors or subject to discrimatory ferral perds based solely on their sexual orientatn and genr new proposed guil would elimate l targetg potential donors based on sexual orientatn and genr.

FDA LIFTS DISCRIMATORY BLOOD DONATN BAN FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Mov closer to jog the growg list of untri that already wele blood donatns om gay and bi men whout rtrictns. ”Prevly, the FDA banned all gay and bisexual men om donatg.

GLAAD noted at the time that anti-LGBTQ fear—not science—was keepg the ban place, and Ellis spoke out about the stigma associated wh a ban on gay and bisexual men. The FDA not that the e of PrEP and PEP may lay tectn of HIV by licensed screeng tts for blood donatns, potentially rultg false negative FDA is proposg allowg blood donatns om monogamo gay and bi men, relaxg policy rtrictns agast them that were wily cricized as discrimatory and that date back to the 1980s AIDS epimic.

FDA PLANS TO LIFT BLANKET RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS OM GAY MEN

If monogamo and no new partners the last three months, all prospective donors, cludg gay and bi men, would be nsired eligible to donate wh no ferral FDA is proposg allowg blood donatns om monogamo gay and bi men, relaxg policy rtrictns wily cricized as discrimatory that date back to the 1980s AIDS epimic. The FDA will ntue to track data about PrEP and blood ABOUT BLOOD DONATIONS FROM GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN, AND OTHER LGBTQ PEOPLE:.

GLAAD is among anizatns and lears who have nsistently advoted for an end to rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men, and other LGBTQ people. Food & Dg Admistratn’s (FDA) revised remendatns on gay and bisexual men, and other LGBTQ people, om donatg blood by rcg the ferral perd om 12 months to 3 months. Origally, gay and bisexual men were pletely prohibed om donatg blood.

CANADA TO LIFT BLOOD DONATN BAN ON SEXUALLY ACTIVE GAY, BISEXUAL MEN

" 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.

It would then be implemented by the natn’s blood llectn tablishments through an updated donor history EASES RULE AMID SHORTAGE:FDA relax rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men durg ronavis panmicGay, bisexual men had to wa 3 monthsBlood donatn guil for gay men were first implemented as the HIV/AIDS crisis unfold the 1980s and ially nstuted a lifetime ban for gay men. Bee I'm gay, I'm exclud.

SHOULD GAYS BE ALLOWED TO DONATE BLOOD?

Should gay men be allowed to donate blood? Surprisgly, men who acknowledge havg sex wh an HIV-posive woman or wh a prostute are banned om donatg blood for only one that thkg has gay rights advot cryg foul.

"Amongst the gay male muny, often people are ught off guard that this policy is still effect sce there have been such advanc tectn technology, " says Nathan Schaefer, policy director for Gay Men's Health Crisis, who is speakg at the heargs.

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

"The policy rerc negative stereotyp about gay men, assumg they are all an equal threat to the public health, " Schaefer says, "and rerc false perceptns about heterosexuals to say they don't reprent a risk. 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. “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.

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.