Can gay people give blood in the us

In fact, the last documented transmission of HIV through the a U. Starting inthe U. While the blood donation ban — as well as many other laws passed in the s regarding HIV exposure and spread — were reasonable at the time, the science has changed.

Allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood would help alleviate chronic blood supply shortages in the U. When and why did the ban begin? Events More events. She explains the history of the ban and the reasoning behind its long-awaited reversal.

Researchers and public health officials have gained a better understanding of how HIV is transmitted and the risks associated with different activities. On May 11, the Food and Drug Administration officially changed its policy allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood as long as they have been monogamous for the previous three months.

With the ongoing blood shortage, that increase could help save more than a million lives. At AABB, we believe that the ability to save lives through donation of safe blood products should be open to as many people as possible, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Thanks to new federal guidelines finalized in May, gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate at many blood centers around the country. The U. Food and Drug Administration announced on May 11,that it has officially dropped restrictions that prohibit gay and bisexual men from donating blood under many circumstances on May 11, The ban was initially put in place in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, but for years medical professionals and gay rights advocates have argued that the ban was no longer medically justifiable and that it unnecessarily discriminated against men who have sex with men.

Researchers and gay rights advocates have long argued that time-based deferrals lack nuance and fail to realistically consider the differences in risk associated with the type of sex, type of relationship, number of partners and frequency of sexual encounters.

When the FDA first implemented the blood donation ban in for men who have sex with men, there were good reasons for broad regulations to ensure the safety of the blood supply.

Gay men can now

At the start of the AIDS epidemic, public health officials were dealing with an unknown virus that was spread through unknown means. But over the years, scientific advancements and strict protocols have helped to nearly eliminate HIV transmission through blood.

Blood Donation by Gay and Bisexual Men Blood donors give a gift for which there is no substitute. With the updated guidelines, most gay and bisexual men who are in a monogamous relationship with a man will no longer have to refrain from sex in order to donate blood.

Despite the ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men, there was some small risk that failures in donor screening and blood screening protocols could lead to transmission of HIV or other diseases from blood transfusion.

In addition, removing gender and sexual orientation from the risk assessment for blood donation will take the U. Edition: Europe. That period was further reduced to three months in Aprilduring the height of the COVID pandemic, to help fight a critical blood shortage.

The FDA has been slowly working toward this change. Learn about federal regulations related to blood donation by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and Gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+) individuals. If the assessment finds an individual to be high-risk, then the guidelines recommend that person be prevented from donating blood for three months.

Ayako Miyashita does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Under the new guidelines, there is a way to differentiate between individuals who are monogamous and those who are not, as well as between those who have not engaged in anal sex in the prior three months and those who have.