Battle at the Bloodbanks – Lawmakers to FDA: Lift the Blood Donation Ban on Gay, Bisexual Men, Policy Not Helping Critical Need for Donations
Gay, Bisexual Men Cannot Donate Blood if they Had Sexual Contact with Other Men in the Past Year
The FDA policy on blood donation is discouraging gay and bisexual men would-be donors. They aren't allowed to give blood if they have been with other men in the past 12 months. Politicians and other gay rights groups have called on the national agency to loosen the policy in the wake of the Orlando mass shooting and other similar incidents that may happen in the future.
US FDA Guideline on Blood Donation a Hindrance
In the wake of what is considered to be one of the bloodiest mass shootings in the U.S., the aftermath of Orlando nightclub shooting had a lot of people lining up at blood banks to donate. Most of the 49 victims in the shooting were gay and bisexual men, and people who were willing to help by giving their blood were turned away because of their sexual orientation as mandated by the FDA guideline.
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After the shooting, the OneBlood donation center in Orlando blasted a tweet looking for blood donors. Families, relatives and friends of the victims rushed to the center but some were turned away as the FDA policy requires for men to not have sex with other men for the past 12 months to deter possibility of HIV contamination and spread.
Florida Rep. Alan Grayson called the FDA policy "discriminatory" as it excludes particular people from donating. Grayson adds that instead of turning gay and bisexual men would-be donors, their status could be found out through HIV testing.
FDA Urged to Update Blood Donation Policy
Grayson is penning a bill that would provide funds to blood banks. The money will be used to discourage discrimination in blood donation by ensuring thorough testing procedures. More then 130 Congress members have signed on the petition for FDA to change its poilicy. He urged them to use science instead of biased profiling.
Rep. Jared Polis stated that the discriminatory policy should be scrapped as a person's partner preference is not indicative of high-risk behavior for sexually transmitted blood-borne diseases. The issue has been widely supported by bisexual, gay men and pro-LGBT Americans.
