FDA to Make Big Move on Blood Donation Rules

[Mike Mercury]

No more automatic 3-month waiting for gay, bi men, per proposal

https://www.newser.com/story/330875/...ss_world_login

A big change looks to be coming to the Food & Drug Administration's long-criticized guidelines for blood donors as it relates to the LGBTQ community. Bloomberg reports that the agency is seeking to ease its restrictions on gay and bisexual men, who, under the current policy, have had to abstain from sex with other men for three months before donating blood. Now, per an updated proposal, donor eligibility will be assessed via "individual risk-based questions," regardless of gender or sexual orientation, in order to help prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. In an accompanying release on Friday, the FDA notes that the change came about after its "careful review of available information, including data from other countries with similar HIV epidemiology that have instituted this approach, as well as ongoing surveillance of the US blood supply."

The Washington Post notes that the modification comes after "years of protest," not only by LGBTQ groups, but also by the American Medical Association and blood banks, which have faced supply shortages over the years. They've all asserted that the current rules—which don't make an exception even for healthy gay men in longtime monogamous relationships—around this are homophobic, not to mention not terribly useful in keeping the US blood supply safe. The ban against gay men used to be for life, per guidelines handed down in 1985. In 2015, advances in testing led to the ban being reduced to 12 months, then down to three in 2020, amid serious blood shortages during the early days of the pandemic. Countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom have already lifted similar restrictions.

The new eligibility criteria would instead focus on potential donors' sexual activity. Some activists say the new guidelines still keep certain willing donors away, prohibiting those who've had anal sex—the virus spreads more easily that way than via vaginal sex—with new partners within the last three months from donating, even if they test negative for HIV and use condoms. Many, however, are hailing the change as a much-needed move that will reduce stigma and bolster the blood supply. "Nobody has been infected through blood transfusion for more than 20 years," Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Stefan Baral tells the Post. The FDA is expected to fully accept the proposal after a period of public comment. Newly eligible donors will likely be able to start offering up their veins by the end of this year or early next.

[Aerovette]

Hmmm, must be a new AIDS vax in the works.

[Rob]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Hmmm, must be a new AIDS vax in the works.

To make us all gay?

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Rob

To make us all gay?

Not all. Some are already there.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Not all. Some are already there.

Identified by the loafers they wear

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Hmmm, must be a new AIDS vax in the works.

No. This is because the US is woefully low on blood supply. Seems there aren't enough people volunteering to give blood. While I can't speak for others, I quit donating when the dems rammed bananacare through. As an O Negative donor, my blood was very valuable to them. They called and called and I told them why I had quit donating every time. They finally stopped calling, but started up again about three months ago. After the last two and a half years of medical tyranny, they can kiss my ass. My blood isn't tainted with their experimental serum and I'll be damned if I'll see it mixed with an AIDS cocktail from some stool pusher.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

Identified by the loafers they wear

DOH !!


I'll guess someone here has a "My Ass, My Choice" T-shirt

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

Identified by the loafers they wear

Crocs ?

[Aerovette]

I figured it follows the template.

When it was still the Wu Han flu, we were all invited to ride the subways in New York and to visit Chinatown in California. Got to make sure it spreads far and wide so people are more likely to get the vax.

It would just follow suit that the gays would be invited to start giving blood so that HIV and AIDS can also spread...and then a magical vax released.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Rob

To make us all gay?

Wouldn't surprise me....they're already turning the friggen' frogs ghey.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Tikiman

the dems rammed bananacare through.

[slewfoot]

I gave for years and stopped when even making reservations became a PITA.

[Vette40th]

Originally Posted by Rob

To make us all gay?

Well, testosterone levels are decreasing at a very alarming rate in young to middle aged men...

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Vette40th

Well, testosterone levels are decreasing at a very alarming rate in young to middle aged men...

It must be the vegans causing those rates to drop.

[Defib1961]

I work for Grifols Biomat, and our FDA guide lines do not allow and male that has EVER had sexual contact with another male, to donate plasma. PERIOD.