FDA Changes Guidelines for Gay and Bi Men to Donate Blood

There’s been a serious shortage of blood donations in the middle of the current worldwide pandemic, resulting in scores of people and organizations calling for a change in the archaic restrictions that prevent gay men from giving blood unless they’ve abstained from sex with men for the past 12 months.

Well, the restrictions have finally been changed, but the homophobia is still showing through.

Rather than lift the ban entirely, the Food and Drug Administration opted to reduce the period of time gay and bisexual men who want to donate blood have to go without “same-sex sexual activity” from 12 months to three months.

The reduction in time was made in tandem with reducing other restrictions —“people who have traveled to areas with certain endemic diseases, those who have engaged in injection drug use and people who have participated in commercial sex work” now also only have to wait three months before donating blood, according to NBC News.

This change makes it apparent that the FDA only caved under extreme pressure and lack of blood donations, rather than acknowledging that the original AIDS-era restriction (which was changed from a full ban on gay and bi men giving blood to a 12 month waiting period in 2015) is homophobic and outdated.

“Creating policy based on identity as opposed to risk is irrational and given the current COVID-19 crisis, it is more critical than ever to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias,” said Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Pro-LGBTQ politicians and LGBTQ organizations, including GLAAD, are still fighting for the waiting period to be removed entirely.