FDA changes blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men

A single blood donation can help two or more patients in need, According to the American Blood Center. But blood banks have history limited implementation prevent some gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

Now, some social media posts confirm The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its blood donation policy for gay and bisexual men. Google search data also shows that people are asking if the FDA will change its guidelines for donating blood.

Will blood donation guidelines change for men who have sex with men?

Yes, the FDA has changed its guidelines for donating blood. Now, men who have sex with men can donate blood without having to abstain from sex for three months if they are in a monogamous relationship.

On May 11, FDA complete new tutorial on the assessment of blood donation conditions.

That new policy was first proposed in January 2023allows men who have sex with men (MSM) in a monogamous relationship to donate blood without having to abstain from sex.

beforeThe FDA requires MSM to abstain from sex for three months before donating blood.

The federal health agency says all potential blood donors will now have to answer “a series of individual, risk-based questions” to determine if they are eligible to donate blood, regardless of whether or not they are eligible to donate. tell their sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.

Under the new guidelines, anyone who reports having had anal sex with a new partner or more than one partner in the past three months will not be allowed to donate blood at that time.

The FDA says this reduces the chances of people getting a new or recent illness human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection will donate blood. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, and if left untreated, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Anyone taking medication to treat or prevent HIV infection, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), will have to wait until three months after the most recent dose to donate blood according to the latest FDA guidelines. .

“Implementation of these recommendations will mark an important milestone for the agency and the LGBTQI+ community,” said Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA’s Center for Biological Evaluation and Research. “FDA is committed to working closely with the blood collection industry to help ensure timely implementation of the new recommendations, and we will continue to monitor the safety of the blood supply following a risk-based approach.” this individual applies.”

Two major blood donation organizations in the United States have announced that they will follow the latest FDA guidance.

Red Cross said in a statement on its website that it is working on changes to its processes to allow people who were previously ineligible to donate blood to do so in the future. The nonprofit added that it will share more information about the implementation schedule in the coming weeks.

That moment, LGBTQ+ donors website of the Red Cross still says that men who have had sex with another man in the past three months should not give blood. But the website will be updated once the Red Cross is able to implement the new FDA guidance, the nonprofit said.

Vitalant, another non-profit organization that has More than 100 blood donation points across the countryalso said it is making adjustments to donation documentation and computer systems, as well as training staff to follow the latest FDA guidance.

“While we do not have a specific implementation date at this time, we will complete the transition as quickly as possible while ensuring compliance with final guidance. We look forward to sharing updates on our progress in the coming months,” Vitalant said in a statement on its website.