HIV+Hep in the News

The FDA on Friday (Jan. 27) published draft guidance that proposes eliminating the 3-month deferral on blood donations for men who have sex with men in an attempt to move toward a gender-inclusive, individual risk-based approach to assessing blood donor eligibility, after years of calls from some lawmakers, LGBTQ advocates, and medical and policy experts who argued the agency’s deferral policy is discriminatory against gay and bisexual men.

“This marks a monumental shift and ends a long and painful era of blanket discrimination against gay men,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute, in a separate press statement. “No longer will eligibility to donate blood be based on sexual orientation. Instead, every person, no matter their sexuality, will be reviewed individually in order to determine their eligibility to donate. While this long-overdue change is being made based on the science and the facts, which have been clear for years, it is the result of the leadership of the Biden administration that continues to tear down discriminatory government policies.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today revealed draft guidelines that would ease restrictions on blood donation for men who have sex with men (MSM). Previously, the FDA only allowed blood donations from MSM who had abstained from sex with another man for 3 months. Under the newly proposed guidance, the FDA recommends that all potential donors be screened with a questionnaire that assesses the risk for HIV on the basis of sexual behavior, recent sexual partners, and other relevant factors.

Carl Schmid, the executive director of the HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute, called the draft guidance a “monumental shift. No longer will eligibility to donate blood be based on sexual orientation,” Schmid stated. “Instead, every person, no matter their sexuality, will be reviewed individually in order to determine their eligibility to donate. While this long-overdue change is being made based on the science and the facts, which have been clear for years, it is the result of the leadership of the Biden administration that continues to tear down discriminatory government policies.”

Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute, issued a statement applauding the change, saying, “This marks a monumental shift and ends a long and painful era of blanket discrimination against gay men. No longer will eligibility to donate blood be based on sexual orientation. Instead, every person, no matter their sexuality, will be reviewed individually in order to determine their eligibility to donate.