The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is once again allowing gay men to donate blood if they meet certain criteria. The FDA had banned donations from gay men 30 years ago, when HIV was first starting to spread. Now, gay men will be allowed to donate 12 months after their last sexual contact with another man.
The decision to reverse the long-standing ban was based on an examination of the scientific evidence. Studies have found that a total ban is not necessary to prevent transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS and that what is called a 12-month deferral is safe.
"Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence, at this point in time, relevant to the U.S. population," said Dr. Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA's biologics division, in a statement.
The United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand have had 12-month deferral periods for donations from gay men for some time.
However, gay rights advocates said the updated policy is still discriminatory.
"It is ridiculous and counter to the public health that a married gay man in a monogamous relationship can't give blood, but a promiscuous straight man who has had hundreds of opposite sex partners in the last year can," said Jared Polis, a Democratic congressman, according to Reuters Health. Polis is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, a caucus of openly gay members of Congress.
When Australia was changing over from what was essentially a ban on blood donations from gay men to a 12-month deferral, studies evaluated more than 8 million units of donated blood using that country's blood surveillance system, the FDA said. Those studies showed no change in risk to the blood supply when gay men were asked to wait 12 months to donate. There is no data for shorter deferral times, the FDA said.
The FDA said that its blood donation policies have helped reduce HIV transmission rates due to blood transfusions down to 1 in 1.47 million.
The FDA first proposed these changes to blood donation policy in May.
