January 29, 2023 – The FDA has proposed updating blood donor screening questions across genders, moving a long-sought move away from one-size-fits-all exclusions for gay men and men who've sex with men.
New suggested questions All donors can be questioned about their sexual intercourse to find out HIV risk. The protocol has been validated in an FDA-funded safety program. study This is already the case in Canada and the UK, a move that marks a departure from measures introduced within the Nineteen Eighties at the peak of the AIDS epidemic.
“Donating blood is one of several really important symbolic ways to show your care for others,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf The Washington Post“We want to make this accessible to as many people as possible within the framework of a secure blood supply.”
Under the brand new protocol, all blood donors, no matter gender or sexual orientation, who report having had recent or multiple sexual partners prior to now 3 months can be asked about having had anal sex prior to now 3 months. If they report having had anal sex recently, they'd be ineligible for donation.
Under this screening format, donors who haven't had a brand new partner or multiple partners within the last three months can be eligible to donate blood.
In addition to screening questions, donated blood can also be often tested for HIV.
The FDA will seek public comment on the proposed changes after which, if approved, donation centers shall be required to implement the brand new screening questions. Under that timeline, the brand new eligibility criteria would go into effect late this 12 months or early 2024. The Washington Post reported.
In a opinionRepresentatives of the American Red Cross said they were “pleased” with the FDA’s proposal and identified that the organization has long advocated for the changes.
“The American Red Cross is committed to achieving an inclusive blood donation process that treats all potential donors equally and respectfully and ensures that a safe and sufficient blood supply is available to patients in need,” officials wrote. “The Red Cross also recognizes the harm this policy has caused and that these are only the first steps toward repairing relationships with the broader LGBTQ community.”
Whether for traumatic injuries, surgery, cancer treatment or chronic illnesses, based on the American Red Cross, someone within the United States needs donated blood every two seconds.