FDA Eases ‘Outdated’ Restrictions on Blood Donations From Gay Men

Contact the FDA with your reaction

  • 39.4k
    jimK
    02/02/2023

    I frankly do not know the reliabilty of blood testing to identify HIV in a sample - so I accept the FDA's conclusion that this is not a factor that could taint any statistically significant portion of donated blood.

    That said, it is time to stop marginalizing gay men with restrictions that no longer represent any potential risk and do not serve any meaningful purpose.

  • 23.3k
    Brian
    02/02/2023

    It's about time. We've known for years that donating blood was low-risk for men in monogamous relationships or who had not had sex with other men in the recent past, but once again some people's religious ideology led them to discriminating against gay blood donors.

    At a time when fewer and fewer are choosing to donate blood, which medical facilities desperately need, it's good to try to bring new donors into the fold. 

    Even so, all blood is screened after donation, so any infected blood would have been discovered before being given to a patient, so there was no great reason for this to begin with.

  • 1,589
    Martha
    02/02/2023

    This action by the FDA is reasonable and rational and should have been taken years ago.

  • 55.5k
    LeslieG
    02/02/2023

    Good to see FDA updating regulations for social norms & technology advancements. Also good to know the blood supply is tested for HIV.