Blood Equality
GMHC participates in the #BloodEquality campaign.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally lifted the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors and replaced it with a policy that allows them to donate blood as long as they’ve not had sex with another man in the previous year, The Associated Press reports.
 
Under the previous policy, men who have ever had sex with another man—even once since 1977—were barred from donating blood. Gay rights advocates, such as David Stacy of the Human Rights Campaign, said the new policy may be an improvement, but that it still stigmatizes gay and bisexual men. “It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology,” he said.
 
The FDA’s Peter Marks said the new policy is based on “sound scientific evidence” that will protect the blood supply. The AP reports that the FDA considered eliminating all restrictions but found that doing so would increase the transmission of HIV through the blood supply by 400 percent.
 
Although all blood donations are screened for HIV, current testing technology does not detect the virus until roughly 10 days after initial infection.
 
In a press release, LGBT and HIV advocacy group Lambda Legal said the FDA’s new policy doesn’t go far enough. “An evidence-based policy would focus exclusively on the conduct of the potential donor, rather than the person’s identity with regards to sexual orientation, gender identity or perceived risk factors based on the person’s identity. Risk behaviors do not have a sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Scott Schoettes, Lambda Legal senior attorney and HIV Project director. “Within 45 days of exposure, currently required blood donation testing detects all known serious blood-borne pathogens, including HIV. Therefore, deferring anyone longer than two months is not necessary and does not discernably enhance the safety of the blood supply.”
 
In a separate press release, AIDS service organization GMHC called the new policy “discriminatory” and took the opportunity to promote a campaign called #BloodEquality.
 
“The FDA’s 12-month deferral plan would still require gay and bisexual men to be celibate for a full year before they are allowed to donate blood, regardless of marital status and safe-sex practices,” said GMHC CEO Kelsey Louie in the release. “Heterosexuals are given no such restrictions, even if their sexual behavior places them at high risk for HIV. In practice, the new policy is still a continuation of the lifetime ban and ignores the modern science of HIV-testing technology while perpetuating the stereotype that all gay and bisexual men are inherently dangerous. Blood donation policies should be based on science, not stigma.”
 
Louie continued, “This is why GMHC is proud to participate in a campaign for #BloodEquality, a bold advocacy campaign launched to stop the discrimination against prospective donors and allow everyone an equal opportunity to donate blood.”
 
You can learn more about the campaign at Blood-Equality.com.
 
And click here to see “Blood Mirror,” a U.S. artwork made with human blood and created as a protest against the ban on gay men donating blood.