FDA trying to ban gay blood?

1. 69

   SilentMagentaposted 3 years ago

   FDA trying to ban gay blood?
   
   I heard on the news that the FDA is trying to ban blood banks from excepting gay blood. I don't know much information on the subject. Feel free to add info. Give opinion.

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2. 95

   lisavollrathposted 3 years ago

   First, there's no such thing as "gay blood".
   
   Since 1983, the FDA has had a ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with one or more men. The ban was put in place because at the time, there was no quick, accurate HIV test available.
   
   The FDA is now relaxing this rule, saying that they would like to block donations from men who have had sex with one or more men in the past 12 months. Now that there's an understanding of how HIV progresses, and there are faster tests, a lifetime block is no longer necessary to maintain the safety of the blood supply.
   
   This new policy is consistent with those about blood donors with other diseases. For example, if you travel to an area where malaria is common, you are generally prohibited from giving blood for a year.

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   1. 69

      SilentMagentaposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't mean to offend by the statement of "gay blood". Why only ban gay men blood at around the same time the found it in heterosexuals as well? If a ban for gay men why not gay women? And why did it take decades to remove the ban?

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   2. 95

      lisavollrathposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      The incidence of HIV in gay women is so low, it's hardly worth mentioning. As for the rest of the questions, you can Google, and there are tons of news stories answering them.

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   3. 69

      SilentMagentaposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.

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