Tri-State Area blood banks implement new donation guidance removing barriers for gay, bisexual men
GREENWICH, Conn. -- Area blood banks are implementing new donation guidance from the Food and Drug Administration that removes barriers for gay and bisexual men who want to donate blood.
At the American Red Cross in Greenwich, they're seeing new faces donating critically needed blood, platelets and plasma.
"We have had a number of people come in and say that they're thrilled to be able to donate now. They've been waiting to donate," said Stephanie Dunn Ashley, CEO of the American Red Cross Metro New York North Chapter.
New guidance from the FDA removes barriers for men who have sex with men to donate.
Screening questions now ask all donors about specific behaviors to assess the risk for recent HIV infection; sexually active gay and bisexual men are no longer singled out.
"Doesn't matter, sexual orientation, at all," Dunn Ashley said.
The FDA has been slowly loosening restrictions put in place in the '80s over concerns about AIDS and HIV.
The American Red Cross was among the first local blood banks to implement the new FDA guidance; they did it on Aug. 7. Other local blood banks are working to implement ASAP.
The New York Blood Bank expects to have protocols in place in early September.
"This is going to allow a lot more people who were previously ineligible, who are healthy donors, who are not having high-risk sex, to be able to donate," said Cole Williams, of the organization Pride and Plasma.
Williams pushed the FDA to update the guidance. He says men who have sex with men should know that those currently taking meds to treat or prevent HIV infection remain ineligible to donate.
"We understand why the FDA has taken that. We support making sure that blood donations are not transmitting any infections," he said.
Blood banks say all donations are screened for infections, and the blood supply is safe.
The FDA says the individual screening approach is in line with blood donation rules in the United Kingdom and Canada.