The American Red Cross announced on Monday that it has began implementing the new blood collection guidelines adopted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year regarding gay and bisexual donors
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2023) The American Red Cross announced on Monday that it has began implementing the new blood collection guidelines adopted by the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year regarding gay and bisexual donors.
"The American Red Cross is now welcoming more donors into its lifesaving mission through updated FDA blood donation eligibility guidelines that eliminate longstanding broad, time-based deferrals based on sexual orientation," the organization said in a statement.
In May, the FDA finalized new recommendations for determining the eligibility of blood donors that are expected to increase the donor pool by eliminating questions regarding the sexual orientation of potential donors.
The FDA explained that it made the changes after reviewing data from other countries that share similar rates of HIV infection and have already put in place risk-based eligibility for blood donations.
According to the new guidelines, a person who reports a new sexual partner, more than one sexual partner, or recent anal sex activity will be instructed to wait at least three months to donate blood.
In addition, those individuals taking medications to treat or prevent HIV would also be blocked from donating blood.
Before 2015, men who practiced sex with other men were barred from donating blood after the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, when it was discovered that HIV tests did not provide the necessary accuracy to protect the blood supply.
