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. Lettg Gay Men Donate Could Help Solve the Crisis." /><meta name="ntenttype" ntent="longform-article" /><meta id="m1" name="m1" emProp="cssSelector " ntent=".ntent-hed" /><meta id="m2" name="m2" emProp="cssSelector" ntent=".ntent-k p" /><lk href="/" emSpe emType=" emRef="m1 m2" /><lk rel="preload" as="image" src=" /><lk rel="prefetch" href="" as="image" /><lk rel="preload" as="image" image-src-set=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" image-siz="100vw" /><meta name="next-head-unt" ntent="47" /><meta name="next-font-prennect" /><script id="vice-tect" data-nscript="beforeInteractive">(()=>{nst o="ontouchstart" wdow||!!navigator.maxTouchPots||("__touch"),t=wdow.matchMedia("only screen and (max-width: 767px)").match,n=o&&t,i=o&&!t,e=[n?"mobile":"no-mobile",i?"tablet":"no-tablet",o?"touch":"no-touch"];,,,sktop=!(n||i),(...e)})();</script><script id="lux" data-nscript="beforeInteractive">LUX=(functn(){nst a=(typeof(LUX)!=="unfed"&&typeof(LUX.gaMarks)!=="unfed"?LUX.gaMarks:[]);nst d=(typeof(LUX)!=="unfed"&&typeof(LUX.gaMeasur)!=="unfed"?LUX.gaMeasur:[]);nst j="LUX_start";nst k=wdow.performance;let l=(typeof(LUX)!=="unfed"&&(():+(new Date())));if(k&&){}functn f(){if(k&&){return ()}nst ():+(new Date());return o-l}functn b(n){if(k){if(){return (n)}if(k.webkMark){return k.webkMark(n)}}({name:n,entryType:"mark",startTime:f(),duratn:0});}functn m(p,t,n){if(typeof(t)==="unfed"&&h(j)){t=j}if(k){if(k.measure){if(t){if(n){return k.measure(p,t,n)}return k.measure(p,t)}return k.measure(p)}if(k.webkMeasure){return k.webkMeasure(p,t,n)}}let r=0; let o=f();if(t){nst s=h(t);if(s){r=s.startTime}else if(k&&[t]){[t]}else{return}}if(n){nst q=h(n);if(q){o=q.startTime}else if(k&&[n]){[n]}else{return}}({name:p,entryType:"measure",startTime:r,duratn:(o-r)});}functn h(n){return c(n,g())}functn c(p,o){for(;i>=0;i--){nst n=o[i];if(){return n}}return unfed}functn g(){if(k){if(k.getEntriByType){return k.getEntriByType("mark")}if(k.webkGetEntriByType){return k.webkGetEntriByType("mark")}}return a}return{mark:b,measure:m,gaMarks:a,gaMeasur:d}})();(():+(new Date()));[];(a){(a)};(){([""])};(){(["send"])};LUX.addData=functn(a,b){(["addData",a,b])};LUX_ae=[];wdow.addEventListener("error",functn(a){(a)});LUX_al=[];if(typeof(PerformanceObserver)==="functn"&&typeof(PerformanceLongTaskTimg)==="functn"){nst LongTaskObserver=new PerformanceObserver(functn(c){nst b=c.getEntri();for(let a=0;a<;a++){nst d=b[a];(d)}});try{LongTaskObserver.observe({type:["longtask"]})}tch(e){}}; = "LongFormArticle";</script><script id="settgs" data-nscript="beforeInteractive">wdow.__FRE={env:"productn",ver:"0.7.383",cdn:te},wdow.__SITE={brand:"menshealth",doma:",dk:"aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWVuc2hlYWx0aC5jb::20=",lole:"en-",lole_path:"",trailg_slash:te},feProperti(wdow,{SELF_HOSTED_ADS:{value:te,wrable:!1},ADSFREE:{value:false,wrable:!1},GDPR:{value:false,wrable:!1}});</script><lk rel="preload" href="/_assets/e/_next/static/css/" as="style" /><lk rel="stylheet" href="/_assets/e/_next/static/css/" /><noscript data-n-css></noscript><script fer noModule src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script id="moapt-data-bundle" src="/_assets/moapt/2.111.0/" async fetchprry="high" data-nscript="beforeInteractive"></script><script id="moapt-bundle" src="/_assets/moapt/2.111.0/" async fetchprry="high" data-nscript="beforeInteractive"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script fer src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/pag/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/chunks/pag/_templat/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/f60bd98dae/" fer></script><script src="/_assets/e/_next/static/f60bd98dae/" fer></script><lk rel="preload" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/fonts/GraphikXXConnsed-Bold-Web.992f2cf.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossOrig="anonymo" /><style type="text/css" id="ferred-fonts" media="none">@font-face {font-fay: 'GraphikBold'; src: url('/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/fonts/Graphik-Bold-Web.f6330c9.woff2') format('woff2'); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-display: swap;} @font-face {font-fay: 'Inter'; src: url('/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/ter-v3-lat-regular.c8ad008.woff2') format('woff2'); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-display: swap;} @font-face {font-fay: 'Charter'; src: url('/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/e4fc2e26-0ce1-4e6c-bb35-330c133f041c.c08ce2c.woff2') format('woff2'); font-weight: 400; font-style: alic; font-display: swap;} @font-face {font-fay: 'Charter'; src: url('/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/74c2aebb-af4a-4c7d-a7f5-2db2c73334eb.c4fa4.woff2') format('woff2'); font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-display: swap;} @font-face {font-fay: 'Charter'; src: url('/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/e38fddd1-89a4-4995-9f7f-3c701b2e62f1.dd7387f.woff2') format('woff2'); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-display: swap;} </style><script type="text/javascript" id="font-loar">(()=>{nst{search:o}=wdow.lotn;if(clus("disableFonts"))return;nst e=clus("bugFonts")?()=>({}),n=document,t=[],s=o=>("> FONT FAILED TO LOAD:",o),d=o=>o,{fontsLoad:a}=ssnStorage;if(!("fonts" n)||a){nst o=n.getElementById("ferred-fonts");return o&&("all"),void(a&&(e("> LOADING FONTS FROM CACHE"),((o=>{(()(d)(s))})),(t)((()=>{e("> FONTS LOADED FROM CACHE"),("fonts-load")}))))}wdow.addEventListener("DOMContentLoad",(()=>{[{"fay":"GraphikBold","src":"/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/fonts/Graphik-Bold-Web.f6330c9.woff2","format":"woff2","scriptors":{"weight":400,"display":"swap","style":"normal"}},{"fay":"Inter","src":"/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/ter-v3-lat-regular.c8ad008.woff2","format":"woff2","scriptors":{"weight":400,"display":"swap","style":"normal"}},{"fay":"Charter","src":"/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/e4fc2e26-0ce1-4e6c-bb35-330c133f041c.c08ce2c.woff2","format":"woff2","scriptors":{"weight":400,"display":"swap","style":"alic"}},{"fay":"Charter","src":"/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/74c2aebb-af4a-4c7d-a7f5-2db2c73334eb.c4fa4.woff2","format":"woff2","scriptors":{"weight":"bold","display":"swap","style":"normal"}},{"fay":"Charter","src":"/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/fonts/e38fddd1-89a4-4995-9f7f-3c701b2e62f1.dd7387f.woff2","format":"woff2","scriptors":{"weight":400,"display":"swap","style":"normal"}}].forEach((({fay:o,src:e,format:n="woff",scriptors:a={}})=>{(new FontFace(o,`url('${e}') format('${n}')`,a)()(d)(s))})),(t)((o=>{e("> FONTS LOADED"),o.forEach((o=>o&&(o))),("fonts-load"),ssnStorage.fontsLoad=!0}))}))})();</script></head><body><style data-emotn="css-global 17qn5oo">html{le-height:1.15;-webk-text-size-adjt:100%;}body{marg:0;}ma{display:block;}h1{font-size:2em;marg:0.67em 0;}hr{box-sizg:ntent-box;height:0;overflow:visible;}pre{font-fay:monospace,monospace;font-size:1em;}a{background-lor:transparent;}abbr[tle]{borr-bottom:none;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;-webk-text-ratn:unrle dotted;text-ratn:unrle dotted;}b,strong{font-weight:bolr;},kbd,samp{font-fay:monospace,monospace;font-size:1em;}small{font-size:80%;}sub,sup{font-size:75%;le-height:0;posn:relative;vertil-align:basele;}sub{bottom:-0.25em;}sup{top:-0.5em;}img{borr-style:none;}button,put,optgroup,select,textarea{font-fay:her;font-size:100%;le-height:1.15;marg:0;}button,put{overflow:visible;}button,select{text-transform:none;}button,[type='button'],[type='ret'],[type='subm']{-webk-appearance:button;}button::-moz-foc-ner,[type='button']::-moz-foc-ner,[type='ret']::-moz-foc-ner,[type='subm']::-moz-foc-ner{borr-style:none;paddg:0;}button:-moz-focrg,[type='button']:-moz-focrg,[type='ret']:-moz-focrg,[type='subm']:-moz-focrg{outle:1px dotted ButtonText;}fieldset{paddg:0.35em 0.75em 0.625em;}legend{box-sizg:borr-box;lor:her;display:table;max-width:100%;paddg:0;whe-space:normal;}progrs{vertil-align:basele;}textarea{overflow:to;}[type='checkbox'],[type='rad']{box-sizg:borr-box;paddg:0;}[type='number']::-webk-ner-sp-button,[type='number']::-webk-outer-sp-button{height:to;}[type='search']{-webk-appearance:textfield;outle-offset:-2px;}[type='search']::-webk-search-ratn{-webk-appearance:none;}::-webk-file-upload-button{-webk-appearance:button;font:her;}tails{display:block;}summary{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-list-em;display:-ms-list-embox;display:list-em;}template{display:none;}[hidn]{display:none;}*{box-sizg:borr-box;}html{font-fay:sans-serif;-ms-text-size-adjt:100%;-webk-font-smoothg:antialiased;-webk-text-size-adjt:100%;scroll-behavr:smooth;overflow-x:hidn;overflow-y:to;}@media (prefers-rced-motn: rce){*{-webk-animatn-duratn:0.01ms!important;animatn-duratn:0.01ms!important;-webk-animatn-eratn-unt:1!important;animatn-eratn-unt:1!important;transn-duratn:0.01ms!important;scroll-behavr:to!important;}},{overflow:hidn;} #__next, #__next{overflow:hidn;}body{m-height:100vh;m-height:-webk-fill-available;}a{lor:her;}a:foc-visible{outle:0.125rem dotted;outle-offset:0.313rem;}button{lor:her;}img:-moz-loadg{lor:transparent;}.__rp-ntaer{posn:relative;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}.__rp-ntaer:before{ntent:'""';lor:transparent;display:block;width:100%;height:0;paddg-bottom:var(--aspect-rat, 100%);}.__rp-ntaer img:not( img):not(.filmstrip-image-wrapper img):not([data-dynamic-svg]),.__rp-ntaer vio{posn:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;m-width:100%;height:var(--height, to);max-height:100%;object-f:var(--object-f, ver);}.__rp-ntaer vio{object-f:nta;}.__rp-ntaer {posn:absolute;top:0;}. img[importance=to]{-webk-transn:opacy 0.3s lear;transn:opacy 0.3s lear;opacy:0;}. img[importance=to].lazyload{opacy:1;}{posn:absolute;left:-10000px,width:1px;height:1px;paddg:0;marg:-1px;overflow:hidn;clip:rect(0, 0, 0, 0);whe-space:nowrap;borr-width:0;}{-webk-background-size:ver;background-size:ver;-webk-background-posn:center;background-posn:center;}@media prt{{display:none!important;}}@font-face{font-fay:'GraphikConnsed';src:url('/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/fonts/GraphikXXConnsed-Bold-Web.992f2cf.woff2') format('woff2');font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-display:swap;}[data-embed]:not(:fed){display:none;}[data-embed]:fed{display:-webk-var(--data-embed-display, block);display:var(--data-embed-display, block);}@font-face{font-fay:"GraphikBold-fallback";size-adjt:108.4%;src:lol('Roboto');}@font-face{font-fay:"GraphikConnsed-fallback";size-adjt:56.6%;src:lol('Roboto');}</style><div id="__next"><style data-emotn="css-global ploijv">{clear:both;}@media (m-width: 90rem){():not([data-embed]="body-image"){clear:none;}}</style><sectn data-teractive="SiPanel-1" class="css-0 e7czha50"><style data-emotn="css 1rky92r">{visibily:hidn;ntent-visibily:hidn;background-lor:#ffffff;lor:#000;width:20rem;max-width:20rem;height:100%;overflow-x:hidn;overflow-y:scroll;posn:fixed;top:0rem;z-x:5999998;-webk-transn:-webk-transform 0.2s lear;transn:transform 0.2s lear;-webk-transform:translateX(-20rem);-moz-transform:translateX(-20rem);-ms-transform:translateX(-20rem);transform:translateX(-20rem);} >div{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;m-height:100%;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;} ~.sipanelToggleable{-webk-transform:ial;-moz-transform:ial;-ms-transform:ial;transform:ial;-webk-transn:-webk-transform 0.2s lear;transn:transform 0.2s lear;}{-webk-transform:translateX(0);-moz-transform:translateX(0);-ms-transform:translateX(0);transform:translateX(0);visibily:visible;ntent-visibily:to;} ~.sipanelToggleable{-webk-transform:translateX(20rem);-moz-transform:translateX(20rem);-ms-transform:translateX(20rem);transform:translateX(20rem);}@media(m-width: 90rem){ ~.sipanelToggleable{-webk-transform:translateX(7rem);-moz-transform:translateX(7rem);-ms-transform:translateX(7rem);transform:translateX(7rem);}}</style><nav id="sipanel" aria-hidn="te" class="new-sipanel-menu hidn css-1rky92r eqt11jm15"><div data-foc-lock-disabled="disabled" data-foc-lock="ma"><style data-emotn="css 1tsdzx8">{marg:1rem 1rem 0 1rem;paddg:0 0.6rem;width:-webk-m-ntent;width:-moz-m-ntent;width:m-ntent;height:2.1875rem;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;} svg{fill:grexyDark;}</style><a href="/search/" class="css-1tsdzx8 e1c1bym14"><style data-emotn="css 711y6j">{fill:#6F6F6F;height:1rem;width:1rem;}</style><svg alt="Search" tle="Search" data-dynamic-svg class="css-711y6j eqt11jm0"><e data-href="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/"></e></svg><style data-emotn="css n9kbil">{paddg:1rem;lor:#000000;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:2rem;}</style><span class="css-n9kbil eqt11jm14">Search</span></a><style data-emotn="css 19toa0d">{paddg:0.6rem;right:1.0625rem;top:1rem;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;posn:absolute;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}</style><a href="#" aria-label="Close Sipanel" class="css-19toa0d e1c1bym14"><style data-emotn="css wdmtb5">{width:1rem;height:1rem;fill:#6F6F6F;}</style><svg alt="Close" role="img" tle="Close" data-dynamic-svg class="css-wdmtb5 eqt11jm13"><e data-href="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/"></e></svg></a><style data-emotn="css 1xojv">{marg:0.5rem 1rem 0.125rem;paddg:0rem;opacy:35%;height:0.0625rem;borr:0;width:to;background-lor:grexyDark;}</style><hr class="css-1xojv eqt11jm12" /><style data-emotn="css d8kx2f">{posn:relative;list-style:none;marg:0rem;paddg:0.6rem;-webk-flex:1 0 to;-ms-flex:1 0 to;flex:1 0 to;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:2rem;} a{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}</style><ul class="css-d8kx2f eqt11jm11"><style data-emotn="css 1lulz">{-webk-transn:background-lor 0.2s lear;transn:background-lor 0.2s lear;paddg:0 1rem;}{posn:relative;paddg:0.5rem 1rem;lor:grexyDark;-webk-transn:paddg 0.3s lear,background-lor 0.2s lear;transn:paddg 0.3s lear,background-lor 0.2s lear;}{paddg:0.5rem 1rem 0;background-lor:#E8E8E8;lor:#000;}{outle:0.0625rem solid black;}@media (any-hover: hover){{background-lor:#E8E8E8;lor:#000;}}</style><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><style data-emotn="css 8rev">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;posn:relative;width:100%;height:2.875rem;lor:grexyDark;-webk-transn:lor 0.2s lear;transn:lor 0.2s lear;} {height:unset;display:le;-webk-align-ems:unset;-webk-box-align:unset;-ms-flex-align:unset;align-ems:unset;paddg:0.5rem 0;}@media (any-hover: hover){{lor:#595959;}}</style><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="/about/a29134632/about-mens-health/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">About Men's Health</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">My Bookmarks</a></li><li data-id="3" class="nav-em has-children has-submenu submenu-closed css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Men's Health MVP</a><style data-emotn="css crmgx6">{posn:absolute;right:1.4rem;top:1.2rem;borr-lor:grexyDark;borr-style:solid;borr-width:0 0.0625rem 0.0625rem 0;paddg:0.2rem;-webk-transn:-webk-transform 0.25s ease--out;transn:transform 0.25s ease--out;cursor:poter;background-lor:transparent;lor:#fff;}.submenu-open {-webk-transform:rotate(45g);-moz-transform:rotate(45g);-ms-transform:rotate(45g);transform:rotate(45g);}.submenu-closed {-webk-transform:rotate(-45g);-moz-transform:rotate(-45g);-ms-transform:rotate(-45g);transform:rotate(-45g);}</style><button role="button" tabInx="0" aria-expand="false" class="css-crmgx6 eqt11jm7"></button><style data-emotn="css fpy6nm animatn-1dfsy">{posn:relative;list-style:none;marg:0rem;paddg:0rem;max-height:0rem;-webk-transn:max-height 0.3s cubic-bezier(0, 1, 0, 1),opacy 0.2s lear 0.15s,marg 0.3s lear;transn:max-height 0.3s cubic-bezier(0, 1, 0, 1),opacy 0.2s lear 0.15s,marg 0.3s lear;height:unset;overflow:hidn;opacy:0;visibily:hidn;-webk-animatn:1s animatn-1dfsy;animatn:1s animatn-1dfsy;-webk-animatn-fill-mo:forwards;animatn-fill-mo:forwards;width:lc(100% + 2rem);marg-left:-1rem;background-lor:#F5F5F5;lor:#000000;}.submenu-open {max-height:27rem;overflow-y:scroll;height:to;opacy:1;visibily:visible;marg-top:0.75rem;}.submenu-closed {max-height:0rem;}@-webk-keyam animatn-1dfsy{99%{visibily:hidn;display:none;}100%{visibily:visible;display:block;}}@keyam animatn-1dfsy{99%{visibily:hidn;display:none;}100%{visibily:visible;display:block;}}</style><ul class="css-fpy6nm eqt11jm10"><style data-emotn="css ldqkaw">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;cursor:poter;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:2.5rem;paddg:0 1rem;} {-webk-transn:background-lor 0.2s lear;transn:background-lor 0.2s lear;} {background-lor:#E8E8E8;lor:#000;} a{opacy:0.8;}{background-lor:#E8E8E8;lor:#ffffff;}</style><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Subscribe</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">MVP Challenge Central</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Membership Perks</a></li></ul></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/health/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Health</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/fns/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Fns</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/workouts/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Workouts</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/weight-loss/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Weight Loss</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/entertament/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Entertament</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/sex-women/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Sex & Relatnships</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/trendg-news/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Life</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/technology-gear/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Technology & Gear</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/style/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Style</a></li><li data-id="13" class="nav-em has-children has-submenu submenu-closed css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/nutrn/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Nutrn</a><button role="button" tabInx="0" aria-expand="false" class="css-crmgx6 eqt11jm7"></button><ul class="css-fpy6nm eqt11jm10"><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href="/keto-diet-gui/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Keto</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href="/whole-30-diet-gui/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Whole 30</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href="/paleo-diet-gui/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Paleo</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href="/dash-diet-gui/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Dash Diet</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href="/mederranean-diet-gui/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Mederranean Diet</a></li></ul></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/groomg/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Groomg</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="/vios/" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Vio</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="/newsletter" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Newsletter</a></li><li data-id="17" class="nav-em has-children has-submenu submenu-closed css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a href="#" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Follow</a><button role="button" tabInx="0" aria-expand="false" class="css-crmgx6 eqt11jm7"></button><ul class="css-fpy6nm eqt11jm10"><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">facebook</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">twter</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">ptert</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">stagram</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">youtube</a></li></ul></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">WHMH Fns Equipment</a></li><li data-id="19" class="nav-em has-children has-submenu submenu-closed css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Shop</a><button role="button" tabInx="0" aria-expand="false" class="css-crmgx6 eqt11jm7"></button><ul class="css-fpy6nm eqt11jm10"><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">90 Day Abs Challenge Gui</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Edors’ Picks</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Books</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Fns Programs</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Equipment</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Groomg</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Apparel & Home</a></li><li class="nav-em css-ldqkaw eqt11jm8"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Sale</a></li></ul></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Promotns</a></li><li class="nav-em css-1lulz eqt11jm9"><a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href=" class="css-8rev e1c1bym14">Men’s Health Supply K</a></li></ul><style data-emotn="css nu5j">{posn:relative;list-style:none;marg:1.5625rem 0 0.5rem 1rem;paddg:0rem;max-width:50%;} a{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}{ntent:"";posn:absolute;top:0.5rem;width:1rem;height:1rem;background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;}.visible {-webk-mask:url(/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/);mask:url(/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/);}</style><ul class="css-nu5j eqt11jm6"><style data-emotn="css 1vjstyg">{paddg-left:1.1875rem;posn:relative;}{cursor:poter;posn:relative;}>button{top:0.8rem;right:0rem;}</style><li data-id="1" class="nav-em has-children has-submenu submenu-closed css-1vjstyg eqt11jm5"><style data-emotn="css lpvaid">{posn:relative;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;width:-webk-max-ntent;width:-moz-max-ntent;width:max-ntent;poter-events:none;lor:#000000;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:2rem;}</style><a href="/" class="css-lpvaid e1c1bym14">Other Edns</a><button role="button" tabInx="0" aria-expand="false" class="css-crmgx6 eqt11jm7"></button><style data-emotn="css 1nord4m animatn-1dfsy">{posn:relative;list-style:none;marg:0rem;paddg:0rem;max-height:0rem;-webk-transn:max-height 0.3s cubic-bezier(0, 1, 0, 1),opacy 0.2s lear 0.15s,marg 0.3s lear;transn:max-height 0.3s cubic-bezier(0, 1, 0, 1),opacy 0.2s lear 0.15s,marg 0.3s lear;height:unset;overflow:hidn;-webk-animatn:1s animatn-1dfsy;animatn:1s animatn-1dfsy;-webk-animatn-fill-mo:forwards;animatn-fill-mo:forwards;} a{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}.submenu-open {max-height:27rem;overflow-y:scroll;height:to;marg-top:0.625rem;}.submenu-closed {max-height:0rem;}@-webk-keyam animatn-1dfsy{99%{visibily:hidn;display:none;}100%{visibily:visible;display:block;}}@keyam animatn-1dfsy{99%{visibily:hidn;display:none;}100%{visibily:visible;display:block;}}</style><ul class="css-1nord4m eqt11jm4"><li dataid="1" sx="[object Object]" class="nav-em"><style data-emotn="css keaptk">{height:1.5625rem;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;lor:#000000;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:2rem;}@media (any-hover: hover){{-webk-transn:opacy 0.2s lear;transn:opacy 0.2s lear;}{opacy:0.8;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;}}</style><a href="/" class="css-keaptk e1c1bym14">US</a></li><li dataid="2" sx="[object Object]" class="nav-em"><a href="//" class="css-keaptk e1c1bym14">UK</a></li><li dataid="3" sx="[object Object]" class="nav-em"><a href="//" class="css-keaptk e1c1bym14">España</a></li><li dataid="4" sx="[object Object]" class="nav-em"><a href="/nl/" class="css-keaptk e1c1bym14">Nerland</a></li></ul></li><li hidn></li></ul><style data-emotn="css 530axm">{marg:0 to;} .ei3fq280{borr:0.0625rem solid grexyDark;}</style><div class="css-530axm eqt11jm3"></div><style data-emotn="css sfww4i">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;width:100%;height:3.125rem;-webk-flex-shrk:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrk:0;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;paddg-left:1rem;}</style><footer class="sipanel-footer-ntaer css-sfww4i eqt11jm2"><style data-emotn="css 5i8vfl">{lor:#000000;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.82326rem;le-height:2rem;marg-right:1rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;} {-webk-transn:opacy 0.2 lear;transn:opacy 0.2 lear;} {lor:activsi-panel-sub-menu-hover;}{marg-right:0rem;}</style><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-5i8vfl e1c1bym14">Privacy Notice</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href=" class="css-5i8vfl e1c1bym14">Terms Of Use</a></footer></div></nav></sectn><div data-foc-lock-disabled="disabled" data-foc-lock="ma" class="sipanelToggleable"><span tabInx="0"></span><style data-emotn="css 1ec7baw">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;posn:absolute;left:1rem;top:1rem;z-x:9999999;text-align:center;opacy:0;-webk-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-moz-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-ms-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;borr:medium solid whe;box-shadow:0 0 0 3px #55adff;background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;borr-radi:1.875rem;font-fay:Inter,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:1;font-weight:bold;paddg:0.625rem 1.25rem;width:to;}{opacy:1;-webk-transform:translateY(0%);-moz-transform:translateY(0%);-ms-transform:translateY(0%);transform:translateY(0%);}{outle:none;}</style><style data-emotn="css 9l6ije">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;posn:absolute;left:1rem;top:1rem;z-x:9999999;text-align:center;opacy:0;-webk-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-moz-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-ms-transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));transform:translateY(lc(-100% - 2.5rem));-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;borr:medium solid whe;box-shadow:0 0 0 3px #55adff;background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;borr-radi:1.875rem;font-fay:Inter,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8928rem;le-height:1;font-weight:bold;paddg:0.625rem 1.25rem;width:to;}{opacy:1;-webk-transform:translateY(0%);-moz-transform:translateY(0%);-ms-transform:translateY(0%);transform:translateY(0%);}{outle:none;}</style><a href="#ma-ntent" class="e1i650950 css-9l6ije e1c1bym14">Skip to Content</a><style data-emotn="css 1webvfj">{background-lor:#d2232e;lor:#ffffff;fill:#ffffff;height:100%;posn:-webk-sticky;posn:sticky;top:var(--nav-offset, 0);z-x:999;}@media prt{{display:none;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{posn:-webk-sticky;posn:sticky;top:var(--nav-offset, 0);}}</style><nav data-trackg-id="topNav" class="css-1webvfj efnztv77"><style data-emotn="css 1pqs8">{-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;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;height:100%;marg:0 to;max-width:75rem;paddg-left:0;paddg-right:0;width:100%;z-x:1;}@media(m-width: 64rem){{-webk-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webk-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;}}</style><div class="nav-bar-ntaer css-1pqs8 efnztv76"><style data-emotn="css 14b191s">{le-height:0.7;marg-left:0.9375rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{paddg:0.5rem 0.25rem 0.5rem 0.625rem;}}@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg:0.5rem 0.25rem 0.5rem 0;} svg{fill:#ffffff;-webk-transn:fill 0.3s ease--out;transn:fill 0.3s ease--out;} svg:hover{fill:#595959;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 90rem){{marg-left:2.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg:0.5rem 0.625rem 0.5rem 0.625rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{marg-left:0rem;}} svg{fill:#ffffff;height:1.875rem;width:1.875rem;} svg:hover{fill:#000000;}</style><a aria-label="Sipanel Button" href="#sipanel" class="css-14b191s e1c1bym14"><svg alt="Menu" tle="Si Panel" data-dynamic-svg><e href="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/"></e></svg></a><style data-emotn="css 1965u2b">{le-height:1;marg-right:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{width:5.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:6rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-right:0.3125rem;height:1.5rem;width:6.5rem;}}</style><a href="/" aria-label="Men's Health" class="nav-logo css-1965u2b e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/menshealth/static/imag/logos/" fetchprry="high" alt="Logo" height="to" width="to" class="css-0 e1ccpyf90" /></a><style data-emotn="css ao5eoo">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;borr-bottom:th solid #F5F5F5;borr-top:th solid #F5F5F5;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webk-orr:1;-ms-flex-orr:1;orr:1;overflow-x:to;overflow-y:hidn;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{background-lor:her;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{background-lor:her;borr-bottom:0;borr-top:0;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{-webk-orr:0;-ms-flex-orr:0;orr:0;width:to;}}{height:0rem;}</style><div style="scrollbar-width: none;" class="css-ao5eoo efnztv73"><style data-emotn="css xs3857">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;list-style:none;marg:0rem;paddg-left:1.125rem;-webk-transform:translateX(unfedpx);-moz-transform:translateX(unfedpx);-ms-transform:translateX(unfedpx);transform:translateX(unfedpx);width:100%;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:2.625rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.125rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><ul class="css-xs3857 efnztv72"><style data-emotn="css azg5ks">{font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8rem;le-height:2rem;paddg:0 1.875rem 0 1.25rem;text-transform:upperse;whe-space:nowrap;}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg:0 1.25rem 0 1.25rem;}}</style><li class="css-azg5ks efnztv71"><style data-emotn="css c8i4ma">{lor:her;display:le-block;le-height:2.58918;m-height:3rem;m-width:3rem;paddg:.5rem 0 .5rem 0;text-align:center;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;-webk-transn:outle 0.3s ease--out,outle-offset 0.3s ease--out;transn:outle 0.3s ease--out,outle-offset 0.3s ease--out;}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{lor:her;}}{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;}</style><style data-emotn="css 7qn7yr">{lor:her;display:le-block;le-height:2.58918;m-height:3rem;m-width:3rem;paddg:.5rem 0 .5rem 0;text-align:center;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;-webk-transn:outle 0.3s ease--out,outle-offset 0.3s ease--out;transn:outle 0.3s ease--out,outle-offset 0.3s ease--out;}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{lor:her;}}{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;}</style><a href="/health/" aria-current="false" class="e1c1bym11 css-7qn7yr e1c1bym14">Health</a></li><li class="css-azg5ks efnztv71"><a href="/entertament/" aria-current="false" class="e1c1bym11 css-7qn7yr e1c1bym14">Entertament</a></li><li class="css-azg5ks efnztv71"><a href="/fns/" aria-current="false" class="e1c1bym11 css-7qn7yr e1c1bym14">Fns</a></li><li class="css-azg5ks efnztv71"><a href="/style/" aria-current="false" class="e1c1bym11 css-7qn7yr e1c1bym14">Style</a></li><li class="css-azg5ks efnztv71"><a href="/groomg/" aria-current="false" class="e1c1bym11 css-7qn7yr e1c1bym14">Groomg</a></li></ul></div><style data-emotn="css ae3t">{-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;background-lor:#ffffff;borr:th solid black;borr-radi:0;lor:#000000;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;height:1.875rem;marg:0 0 0 to;paddg-left:1.05rem;paddg-right:1.05rem;text-align:center;-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;} {width:unset;word-spacg:unset;}@media (any-hover: hover){{-webk-transn:box-shadow 0.2s lear,background 0.2s lear;transn:box-shadow 0.2s lear,background 0.2s lear;}{;;}}@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;}}{outle:0.125rem dotted #000000;outle-offset:0.2rem;}{outle-lor:#ffffff;}{background-lor:#E8E8E8;lor:#000000;borr:th solid black;} svg>path{fill:#000000;}</style><a href=" class="css-ae3t e1c1bym14">Subscribe</a><style data-emotn="css 1y41cbl">{paddg-right:0.9375rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 90rem){{paddg-right:2.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-right:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-1y41cbl e7dmux20"><style data-emotn="css 14rcjx3">{-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;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8rem;le-height:2rem;marg-left:0.3125rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-transform:upperse;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-left:0.9375rem;}}</style><a rel="nofollow" href="/th/csrf?actn=log&return_url=/" class="css-14rcjx3 e1c1bym14"><style data-emotn="css 12dnc41">{whe-space:nowrap;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.8rem;le-height:2rem;text-transform:upperse;}</style><span class="css-12dnc41 e7dmux21">sign </span></a></div></div></nav><div class="oop-ad css-0 e1x3pu1"><div id="gpt-ad-oop-1" class="ad-ntaer css-0 e1x3pu0"></div></div><style data-emotn="css 1ny62y9">{background-lor:bg-primary;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-right:var(--sponsor-panel-width, to);}}</style><ma id="ma-ntent" class="css-1ny62y9 e1q9j2sb0"><style data-emotn="css joveom">{width:100%;max-width:100vw;display:grid;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;posn:relative;z-x:to;}@media prt{{max-width:100%;}} .ejku7p03{top:0.75rem;right:0.75rem;bottom:to;}</style><hear class="css-joveom exadjwu12"><style data-emotn="css 1s0pb9c">{marg:to lc(50% - 50vw) 0.9375rem;width:100vw;}</style><div class="css-1s0pb9c m8yu71"><style data-emotn="css 9k7e4e">{width:100%;height:100%;posn:absolute;object-f:ver;width:100%;height:to;posn:relative;object-f:ver;grid-lumn:1/4;}</style><style data-emotn="css tennxp">{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%;height:100%;posn:absolute;object-f:ver;width:100%;height:to;posn:relative;object-f:ver;grid-lumn:1/4;} {visibily:hidn;opacy:0;-webk-transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;transn:visibily 0s .3s,opacy .3s lear;}</style><div class=" exadjwu11 css-tennxp ejku7p04"><style data-emotn="css 5mi43p">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:100%;width:100%;}</style><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 mktybr">{marg:0 to;max-width:75rem;paddg:0 0.938rem;text-align:center;}@media(m-width: 64rem){[data-has-sponsor] {text-align:start;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg:0 2.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg:0.9375rem 1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg:0 1.875rem;}}</style><div class="css-mktybr exadjwu4"><nav aria-label="breadcmbs" class="css-0 e9l0kn03"><style data-emotn="css cg2rpp">{lor:#595959;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:0.70284rem;le-height:1.3;list-style:none;marg:0 to;max-width:75rem;paddg:1.25rem 1.25rem 0 1.6875rem;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg:1.25rem 2.5rem 0 3.3125rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg:1.25rem 0 0 0.8125rem;}}</style><ol emSpe emType=" class="css-cg2rpp e9l0kn02"><style data-emotn="css zxq36b">{display:le;}{paddg:0.25rem;ntent:">";}</style><li emProp="emListElement" emSpe emType=" class="css-zxq36b e9l0kn01"><style data-emotn="css 100k4td">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#000000;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;}</style><style data-emotn="css 10e6ywj">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#000000;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;}</style><a emProp="em" href="/health/" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Breadcmbs" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="Health" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" class="e9l0kn00 css-10e6ywj e1c1bym14"><span emProp="name">Health</span></a><meta emProp="posn" ntent="1" /></li><style data-emotn="css huh8md">{display:none;}{paddg:0.25rem;ntent:">";}</style><li emProp="emListElement" emSpe emType=" class="css-huh8md e9l0kn01"><a emProp="em" 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: 61.25rem){{m-height:28rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:488px;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:612px;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{max-width:40.25rem;}}</style><div class="css-hi6ssp eg8z2o92"></div></div></div></div><div></div><div data-teractive="WatchNext-1" class="css-0 e10xr3vp6"><style data-emotn="css 1pqv15d">{marg-bottom:1.875rem;marg-top:1.875rem;paddg:0 0.938rem;}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg:0 2.5rem;}}</style><div data-embed="watch-next" class="css-1pqv15d e10xr3vp5"><style data-emotn="css 14vh9p">{text-align:center;marg:0 to;max-width:60rem;}</style><div class="css-14vh9p e10xr3vp4"><style data-emotn="css 1sowyjy">{marg-bottom:1.25rem;}</style><div class="css-1sowyjy e10xr3vp3"><style data-emotn="css 1183i9j">{lor:#d2232e;display:le-block;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg:0rem;text-align:left;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.8125rem;le-height:1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.75rem;le-height:1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.125rem;le-height:1;}}</style><h6 class="css-1183i9j e10xr3vp2"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><span class="css-0 e10xr3vp1">Watch Next</span><style data-emotn="css m9tz6y">{background-lor:#000000;lor:#fff;ntent:'';display:block;height:0.25rem;marg-bottom:0.3125rem;posn:relative;z-x:-1;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{marg-left:12.7rem;top:-1.1rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg-left:20rem;top:-1.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{marg-left:22.2rem;top:-1.5rem;}}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-m9tz6y eagam8p1"></span></h6><style data-emotn="css 1chqobr">{-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;font-fay:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helveti,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:normal;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;marg:0rem;m-height:to;text-align:left;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1;}}</style><h6 class="css-1chqobr e10xr3vp0"> </h6></div><style data-emotn="css b3y6x">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;--aspect-rat:56.25%;} {posn:absolute;marg:0rem;}{ntent:"";display:block;height:0rem;width:100%;}@media(max-width: 30rem){{paddg-bottom:lc((45% / 1.16) + 20px + 1.66em);}}@media(m-width: 30rem) and (max-width: 48rem){{paddg-bottom:lc((45% / 1.43) + 20px + 1.66em);}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem) and (max-width: 64rem){{paddg-bottom:lc((33% / 1.40) + 20px + 1.66em);}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-bottom:lc((25% / 1.36) + 20px + 1.66em);}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-bottom:lc((25% / 1.46) + 20px + 1.66em);}}</style><div class="__rp-ntaer css-b3y6x e6l0f0"><style data-emotn="css 1yu8e3d">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;width:100%;height:100%;} .__rp-ntaer{height:to;}</style><div data-embed="embed-vio" class="vio-player css-1yu8e3d e1ou1fny0"><style data-emotn="css 1uds6oo">{height:100%;width:100%;posn:relative;}</style><div class="css-1uds6oo e1f7ylgd6"><style data-emotn="css w2pm9t">{background-lor:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);borr:.1875rem solid whe;borr-radi:50%;lor:#fff;cursor:poter;height:3.75rem;left:50%;posn:absolute;-webk-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-moz-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-ms-transform:translate(-50%,-50%);transform:translate(-50%,-50%);-webk-transn:all 0.4s;transn:all 0.4s;width:3.75rem;z-x:1;}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {background-lor:rgba(33, 150, 245, 0.8);lor:#ffffff;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{top:26%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{top:29.5%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{top:32.5%;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{top:34.5%;height:5.625rem;width:5.625rem;borr:.28125rem solid whe;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{top:35%;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{top:35.8%;}}</style><button aria-label="Play Vio" class="css-w2pm9t e1f7ylgd1"><style data-emotn="css 1lhf7lq">{fill:#ffffff;height:1.4rem;vertil-align:middle;width:1.45rem;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:2.3125rem;height:3rem;}}</style><svg xmlns=" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" style="fill: var(--primary, #000);" role="img" tle="Play" class="css-1lhf7lq e1f7ylgd2"><tle>play in

can gay people give 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.

Contents:

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

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

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.

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

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. * can gay people give blood *

”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.

BLOOD DONATN BY GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

* can gay people give blood *

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.

”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. “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.

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. * can gay people give blood *

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.

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.

Is movg to ease rtrictns on blood donatns om gay and bisexual men and other groups that tradnally face higher risks of HIV.

NEW US BLOOD DONATN L ALLOW MORE GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN TO GIVE

Gay and bisexual men monogamo relatnships n donate whout abstag om sex unr updated FDA guil * can gay people give blood *

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.

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. Current Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) policy allows for gay and bisexual men to donate blood 3 months after their most recent sexual ntact wh another man if they meet all other eligibily creria. 27, 2023, FDA issued a draft guidance that propos to elimate the tomatic 3-month ferral of gay and bisexual men based on the agency analysis of the current data on HIV transmissn.

FDA'S REVISED BLOOD DONATN GUIDANCE FOR GAY MEN STILL COURTS CONTROVERSY

The FDA has announced a relaxg of s rtrictns on gay men beg allowed to donate blood, light of the ronavis disease 2019 panmic. Instead of 1 year, if a male has had sex wh another male, he need only wa 3 months to donate blood. * can gay people give blood *

For the first time four s, gay and bisexual men will be allowed to donate blood Utah. Durg a prs nference Wednday afternoon, ARUP Blood Servic ma the announcement, makg the first donor center the state to accept donatns om the gay muny. “The are excg chang to the guil that have historilly impacted gay and bisexual men for four s.”.

BANNED FOR LIFE: WHY GAY MEN STILL N'T DONATE BLOOD

Gay men who were once unable to donate blood were able to participate blood driv for the very first time. * can gay people give blood *

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.

GAY MEN NOW ABLE TO DONATE BLOOD UTAH AFTER S-LONG BAN

Gay and bisexual men are still rtricted om givg blood, a move that LGBTQ activists ll discrimatory. * can gay people give blood *

""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. Gay and bisexual men monogamo relatnships n give blood the US whout abstag om sex unr updated feral health guil that foc on donors’ behavr, not their sexual Food and Dg Admistratn (FDA) guil falized on Thursday ease s-old rtrictns signed to protect the blood supply om agency announced plans for the change January and said this week the new approach n now be implemented by blood updated guil do away wh a requirement that men who have sex wh men absta om sex for three months prr to givg blood. The FDA has announced a relaxg of s rtrictns on gay men beg allowed to donate blood, light of the ronavis disease 2019 panmic.

Instead of 1 year, if a male has had sex wh another male, he need only wa 3 months to donate FDA has announced a relaxg of s rtrictns on gay men beg allowed to donate blood, light of the ronavis disease 2019 (COVID-19) panmic. How do they know if a gay man is gay? Harcup, 43, a gay man who liv Florida.

GAY MEN STILL FACE HURDL TO DONATE BLOOD AMID NATNAL SHORTAGE

Learn more about the current feral policy on gay and bisexual men donatg blood. * can gay people give blood *

And ’s also outrageo to assume that gay men engage more risky sexual behavr than straight men.

THE FDA NSIRS EASG RTRICTNS ON BLOOD DONATNS BY GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

The revised policy match that the Uned Kgdom, which 2017 implemented a 3-month ferral policy for gay or bisexual men who want to donate blood technician, now a fns entreprenr and owner of, Alistaire Nzek, 34, of Hightstown, New Jersey, poted out, “The whole reason is bee they thk men who sleep wh men are at a higher risk of gettg HIV, " he said. Jt bee I’m a gay man sleepg wh another men do not make my blood any ls clean. You’re jt as likely to get HIV whether you’re straight or gay.

"Chip Somovilla / Getty ImagLike lns of other gay men, Dassey ed to give blood a few tim a year whout a send thought. "If you are a gay man, and you answer that qutn tthfully, the rult is a lifetime ban.

" The FDA classifi all gay men the hight-risk blood-donor tegory -- the same tegory as IV dg ers and people who've spent more than five years sce 1980 a untry that has mad w disease.

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

Even wh a clean bill of health, a gay man is nsired more of a threat to the blood supply than a straight man who was treated for chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, venereal warts, and genal herp wh the past year.

The FDA, other words, nsirs the sort of man who pays women for sex to be healthier -- and his blood ls of a risk to you -- than a man who last had sex wh another man 30 years 's bee gay men, the FDA argu, are at "creased risk of certa transfn transmissible fectns" like AIDS and hepatis B.

And that argument isn't necsarily whout mer: Gay men make up roughly half of the patients livg wh HIV the Uned Stat, spe acuntg for jt four percent of the populatn. Prsured to take actn, the FDA did the only thg possible and banned the group of people most likely to spread the vis: sexually active gay men. In addn to the Uned Stat, several other untri still have lifetime bans agast gay blood donors place, cludg France, Germany, Swzerland, Norway, and Denmark.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* CAN GAY PEOPLE GIVE BLOOD

Blood Donatn by Gay and Bisexual Men .

TOP