The Food and Drug Administration proposes easing many restrictions on homosexual and bisexual males donating blood.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Gay and bisexual males have lengthy confronted restrictions in donating blood. Those prohibitions have been criticized as pointless and discriminatory. Well, in the present day the Food and Drug Administration proposed new guidelines for who can donate blood. NPR’s Rob Stein is with us to elucidate all. Hey, Rob.
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Hey, Mary Louise.
KELLY: So the present restrictions in place are what precisely?
STEIN: The restrictions date again to the early days of the AIDS pandemic and have been designed to guard the blood provide from HIV. Originally, homosexual and bisexual males have been fully barred from donating blood. The FDA has been enjoyable that ban over time, however males who had intercourse with one other man within the final three months have nonetheless been prohibited from donating. Advocates for the LGBTQ group, in addition to blood banks and main medical teams, have known as the coverage outdated and stigmatizing.
KELLY: Outdated and stigmatizing. So what’s the FDA proposing as an alternative?
STEIN: The FDA needs to implement new guidelines that concentrate on habits as an alternative of gender and sexual identification. Under the brand new guidelines, anybody who says they’ve had a brand new sexual accomplice or a number of sexual companions and have had anal intercourse within the final three months can be prohibited from donating. That’s as a result of HIV is unfold extra simply via anal intercourse than different kinds of sexual contact. So this proposal means for the primary time, even some girls may very well be prohibited from donating, however monogamous homosexual and bisexual males can be allowed to donate for the primary time in many years. Here’s how Dr. Peter Marks from the FDA described the change throughout a briefing in the present day.
PETER MARKS: We are transferring now to an inclusive coverage for blood donation that is as inclusive as it may be that we’ll proceed to work to attempt to make it possible for we have now insurance policies that enable everybody who needs to donate blood to have the ability to donate blood inside what the science permits to make it possible for the blood provide stays secure.
STEIN: Sex employees and intravenous drug customers would nonetheless be prohibited from donating, as would individuals who have examined constructive for HIV or are taking remedy to forestall HIV an infection.
KELLY: And what sort of response has there been to this?
STEIN: You know, it has been fairly constructive from advocates, medical teams and blood banks. The pandemic has exacerbated the issue of blood shortages. Here’s Kate Fry from America’s Blood Centers.
KATE FRY: The blood group may be very excited concerning the proposed modifications. We have advocated for a decade now for a transfer to a person threat evaluation mannequin, so that is very welcome by blood facilities throughout the nation.
STEIN: She harassed that every one donated blood is rigorously screened for HIV and that testing has improved dramatically to make sure the protection of the blood provide.
KELLY: Although you simply advised me that this ban was initially put in place to attempt to defend the blood provide from HIV, is there any concern about this transfer from a well being standpoint?
STEIN: Well, a lot of the consultants say that it appears affordable and the blood provide will nonetheless be secure, however there’s some advocates which might be saying that the modifications do not go far sufficient. They say among the remaining restrictions are nonetheless pointless and homophobic, such because the prohibition in opposition to individuals taking remedy known as PrEP to cut back the chance for catching HIV. Here’s Tony Morrison from the group GLAAD.
TONY MORRISON: When we restrict and defer people who find themselves being proactive of their sexual well being, that stigmatizes them. The false impression is that individuals on PrEP are extra promiscuous or that they’ve the next threat of HIV an infection. And that is, you understand, categorically false.
STEIN: So his group will proceed to foyer the FDA to additional ease restrictions.
KELLY: And briefly, Rob, what is the timeline on this?
STEIN: The proposed modifications will probably be open for public remark for 60 days. The FDA will then subject a last rule most likely later this 12 months, so monogamous homosexual males might begin donating blood once more for the primary time in many years someday in 2023.
KELLY: Sometime this 12 months. NPR well being correspondent Rob Stein. Thank you.
STEIN: Thank you.
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