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By Cara Murez and Robin Foster
HealthDay Reporters
THURSDAY, Dec. 1, 2022 (HealthDay Information) – U.S. Meals & Drug Administration insurance policies which have restricted blood donations from males who’ve intercourse with males might quickly ease.
In the mean time, FDA coverage doesn’t permit blood donation from males who’ve had intercourse with different males prior to now three months. That is already a shorter timeframe than prior to now, when the company required a one-year hole.
The company is now contemplating switching to questionnaires that target particular person threat, somewhat than blanket limitations, CNN reported.
“The FDA stays dedicated to gathering the scientific knowledge associated to different donor deferral insurance policies that preserve a excessive degree of blood security,” the company mentioned in a press release issued Wednesday. “We anticipate issuing up to date draft steering within the coming months.”
Data collected via a donor eligibility questionnaire and blood surveillance “will doubtless assist a coverage transition to particular person risk-based donor screening questions for decreasing the danger of HIV transmission,” the company added, CNN reported.
The FDA modified these tips in 2020 as the necessity for blood donations grew through the pandemic, CNN reported.
“Whereas as we speak’s reviews of an overdue transfer from the FDA is a vital step, our group and main medical specialists won’t cease advocating for the FDA to raise all restrictions in opposition to certified LGBTQ blood donor candidates,” Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO and president of GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy group, mentioned in a press release.
Different international locations have already made comparable strikes: Since 2020, males in a long-term relationship with one other man have been allowed to donate blood in the UK, although different males who’ve intercourse with males should nonetheless wait to donate for 3 months.
A Wall Road Journal report on Wednesday cited sources conversant in the FDA plan, saying that males who’re in monogamous relationships with different males could be allowed to donate blood. Those that have had a brand new sexual accomplice and have had anal intercourse prior to now three months wouldn’t be allowed to make a donation, CNN reported.
“As LGBTQ leaders and medical specialists have been saying for years: bans and restrictions on blood donations from homosexual and bisexual males are rooted in stigma, not science,” Ellis mentioned.
Medical and blood donation organizations voiced their assist of the plan.
“The AMA [American Medical Association] relentlessly advocates for eliminating public insurance policies that don’t align with scientific proof and greatest moral practices, which is why now we have urged the FDA to make use of rational, scientifically-based deferral intervals for donation of blood, corneas and different tissues which can be pretty and persistently utilized to donors in keeping with their particular person threat,” AMA President Dr. Jack Resneck Jr. advised CNN.
The American Crimson Cross mentioned Wednesday it “believes blood donation eligibility shouldn’t be decided by strategies which can be primarily based upon sexual orientation and is dedicated to working with companions towards reaching this aim.”
The Crimson Cross added that it has been concerned within the FDA-funded ADVANCE research to find out whether or not a questionnaire that assessed particular person dangers in homosexual and bisexual donors might exchange a blanket time-based coverage.
Extra info
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers has extra on donating blood.
SOURCE: CNN; statements, Nov 30, 2022, GLAAD, American Crimson Cross
