At least a decade ago, Chris Van Peper was banned from donating blood. The 35-year-old from Salt Lake City, Utah, an openly gay man, was restricted due to rules set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that did not allow sexually active gay men to donate blood.
Donation Ban for Gay and Bi Men
In the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, blood donations could not test for the virus, leading to some cases of infection through blood donation. This prompted the FDA to impose a lifetime ban on blood donation from gay and bisexual men, as well as women who have sex with men who have sex with men.
Ayako Miyashita Ushio, an assistant professor at UCLA’s School of Public Affairs, told ABC News, “It was really based not on individual person risk, but more so on belonging to a certain group, and some of that, in the beginning, could be argued was based on what we were seeing in terms of HIV’s impact on specific communities, particularly gay and bisexual men.”
In 2015, the blanket ban was lifted, but the FDA imposed restrictions that allowed men who have sex with men to donate blood if they had been abstinent for at least one year. In 2020, this period was shortened to 90 days of abstinence.
Scientists and advocates argued that the lack of science-supported policies constituted discrimination.
Changing the Blood Donation Rules
This year, the FDA announced that it would no longer issue a blanket ban based on sexual orientation, but would instead assess potential donors based on their risks of HIV infection and transmission, starting in August.
At that time, the federal health agency said it would use “individual risk assessment questions that are inclusive of gender and based on type without compromising the safety or availability of the blood supply.”
Surveys will ask all donors about new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months. Those with a new sexual partner or multiple partners within the last three months who have a history of anal sex during that timeframe will be deferred. Those taking medication to treat or prevent HIV infection will also be deferred. The new blood donation risk assessment is the same for every donor, regardless of how they identify.
Many other Western countries that recently lifted a ban or eased restrictions include the United Kingdom, France, Greece, and the Netherlands.
Van Peper said that when he first heard the FDA was considering a policy change, he was initially cautious but became excited when it became official.
He said, “I was a little concerned because I wanted to know, how is this change going to be made and will it really be inclusive and how will it include everyone? And when it finally started, and I read the requirements before I went to donate, I sat there and said to myself, this is the way we should be doing this, and science will continue to work with us and there will only be improvements.”
Experts said that this new policy focuses on individual risks, considering that many donors are individuals with multiple sexual partners, who are HIV-negative and practice safe sex.
Miyashita Ushio said, “I think that the individual risk-based assessment gives us an opportunity to move away from arbitrary decisions related to donation-related risks. I think we’re moving toward a place that better reflects the science and our expectations as a community for non-discrimination.”
And hopes
Experts also believe that more donors can help address the blood supply shortage. On September 11 of this year, the American Red Cross announced a national blood shortage, stating that the blood supply levels had dropped by nearly 25% since early August.
Although blood donations have increased since then, it may take weeks to restore levels, according to the Red Cross.
More Work Needs to Be Done
Van Peeber said the LGBTQ community’s response has been positive, with people coming out to donate who were not aware they were now eligible or shared their first donation experience.
However, he and others say there is more work to be done. One way to make blood donation more inclusive is to expand eligibility for those taking a medication called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, a daily pill containing two medications that prevent HIV-negative patients from contracting the virus).
Dr. Payah Laski, head of the American Red Cross’s general medicine, told ABC News: “While we certainly don’t want any donor to stop taking their medication because it is important for preventing and treating HIV, it requires more data to understand how these medications affect testing and eligibility.”
Miyashita Oshua expressed hope that the risk assessment will encourage more people not only to reduce stigma but also to encourage more people to donate.
She said: “These surveys aim to keep our blood supply safe, so you may feel some discomfort when asked about your sexual health risks, but we must maintain the safety of our blood supply.”
“So please support this effort to move toward individual risk assessment and understand that this is not just about fighting stigma and discrimination, but it is about education. This is an opportunity to participate in a more just and accurate scientific assessment of risks. We can all do our part,” she added.
Source: https://www.aol.com/fda-rule-allowing-gay-bisexual-111100540.html
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