FDA May Lift Ban on Gay Blood
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Category: Gender and Sexuality
Under current regulations, the FDA does not allow blood donation services to accept any male donor who admits to having had sexual relations with another man after 1977--and the rule also excludes any woman who admits to having had sexual relations with any man who falls into that category.
The reasoning behind the restriction, which made a limited amount of sense before reliable HIV-AIDS testing was available, seems downright bizarre in an age where it is universally recognized that all blood needs to be tested and that HIV-positive status is not limited to gay and bisexual men. (Or the women who have had sex with them. Or the men who have had sex with the women who have had sex with them. Or the women who... Well, you get the idea.)
Now comes news from FDA spokesman Stephen King that the agency is considering lifting the ban based on recommendations from the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, and America's Blood Centers. "[O]ur layers of safety," explained a spokesman for the American Red Cross, "have improved to the point where [the FDA] should review the policy."
With every major blood donor group in agreement that it no longer makes sense to exclude gay and bisexual men from donating blood, objections to lifting the ban will be more political than scientific, with some socially conservative groups likely to stand in opposition out of habit. Meanwhile, the Fight to Give Life has scheduled a blood drive, of sorts, for April 5th--where gay and bisexual men are asked as an act of protest to show up in large numbers to donate blood, answer "Yes" to the exclusionary question, and be turned away. No word yet on whether or not men who have had sex with women who have had sex with gay or bisexual men will also participate.
Under current regulations, the FDA does not allow blood donation services to accept any male donor who admits to having had sexual relations with another man after 1977--and the rule also excludes any woman who admits to having had sexual relations with any man who falls into that category.
The reasoning behind the restriction, which made a limited amount of sense before reliable HIV-AIDS testing was available, seems downright bizarre in an age where it is universally recognized that all blood needs to be tested and that HIV-positive status is not limited to gay and bisexual men. (Or the women who have had sex with them. Or the men who have had sex with the women who have had sex with them. Or the women who... Well, you get the idea.)
Now comes news from FDA spokesman Stephen King that the agency is considering lifting the ban based on recommendations from the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, and America's Blood Centers. "[O]ur layers of safety," explained a spokesman for the American Red Cross, "have improved to the point where [the FDA] should review the policy."
With every major blood donor group in agreement that it no longer makes sense to exclude gay and bisexual men from donating blood, objections to lifting the ban will be more political than scientific, with some socially conservative groups likely to stand in opposition out of habit. Meanwhile, the Fight to Give Life has scheduled a blood drive, of sorts, for April 5th--where gay and bisexual men are asked as an act of protest to show up in large numbers to donate blood, answer "Yes" to the exclusionary question, and be turned away. No word yet on whether or not men who have had sex with women who have had sex with gay or bisexual men will also participate.
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