Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
Health

US Lifts Lifetime Ban On Blood Donations From Gay Men; Now Requires 12 Months Abstinence

The Canadian Press, 21 Dec, 2015 12:32 PM
    WASHINGTON — The three-decade-old U.S. ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was formally lifted Monday, but major restrictions will continue to limit who can donate.
     
    The Food and Drug Administration said it is replacing the lifetime ban with a new policy barring donations from men who have had sex with a man in the previous year. While the one-year-ban has been criticized by activists it matches policies in other countries, including Australia, Japan and the U.K.
     
    Gay rights activists said the new policy is a "step in the right direction," but falls short.
     
    "It continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men," said David Stacy, of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. gay rights group. "It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology."
     
    Monday's policy shift was first proposed in late 2014 and follows years of lobbying by medical groups and gay rights groups, who said the previous ban was outdated and perpetuated negative stereotypes.
     
    Dr. Peter Marks of the FDA said the change is "backed by sound scientific evidence" and will "continue to protect our blood supply."
     
    The FDA considered eliminating all restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, but concluded that would increase the transmission of HIV through the blood supply by 400 per cent.
     
     
    "An increase of that magnitude is not acceptable," Marks told reporters.
     
    All U.S. blood donations are screened for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But there is a roughly 10-day window between initial infection and when the virus can be detected by current testing techniques. The American Red Cross estimates the risk of getting an HIV-positive blood donation is 1 in 1.5 million for all U.S. patients. About 15.7 million blood donations are collected in the U.S. each year.
     
    The lifetime ban was put in place during the early years of the AIDS crisis and was intended to protect the blood supply from what was a then little-understood disease.
     
    The FDA concluded that moving to a one-year abstinence requirement would not change the safety of U.S. blood donations, based primarily on data from Australia. That country has had a one-year rule for active gay and bisexual men for over 10 years.
     
    FDA officials said there are no comparable data using shorter restriction periods.
     
    "Right now there are really no large, major countries with shorter intervals than one year," Marks said during a teleconference.
     
    On the current blood donor questionnaire, men are asked if they have ever had sex with another man since 1977-- the start of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. Potential donors who answer positively are barred from donating blood. The new questionnaire, as outlined under FDA guidelines, would ask men if they have had sex with another man in the last 12 months.
     
    The U.S. blood banking system also bars donations from people who have had sex with a prostitute or an intravenous drug user in the past 12 months.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation
    Have you heard of "Holiday Heart Syndrome"? It happens when a non-drinker or a light drinker gives in to the weekend party mood and goes on a drinking spree.

    Love Drinking? Raise A Toast To Moderation

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain
    South Asians living in the US are more reluctant than other ethnicities to report pain as well as seek medication to treat the pain they experience near the end of their lives, says a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher.

    South Asians In US Reluctant To Report Pain

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes
    South Asians in US are more prone to heart attacks and diabetes when compared to other ethnic groups, it was highlighted at a health congress here.

    South Asians In US More Prone To Heart Attacks, Diabetes

    As More Canadians Survive Strokes, More Live With Stroke-induced Disabilities

    As More Canadians Survive Strokes, More Live With Stroke-induced Disabilities
    More people are surviving strokes — a good news story about what can be a devastating and even fatal attack on the brain.

    As More Canadians Survive Strokes, More Live With Stroke-induced Disabilities

    Diversify Your Diet To Stay Healthy

    Diversify Your Diet To Stay Healthy
    A loss of dietary diversity during the past 50 years could be a contributing factor to the rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal problems and other diseases

    Diversify Your Diet To Stay Healthy

    Indian American Team Makes Gene-Editing Tool Simpler

    Indian American Team Makes Gene-Editing Tool Simpler
    A team of Indian American researchers has developed a user-friendly resource to make the powerful gene-editing tool more friendly.

    Indian American Team Makes Gene-Editing Tool Simpler