Senators Are Right to Seek End to Three ‐​Month Celibacy Requirement For Gay and Bisexual Blood Donors

Jeffrey A. SingerTwenty ‐​two Democratic U.S. senatorssent a letter today to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock urging the FDA toend its policy of deferring blood donations from men who have sex with men until 3 months after the last sexual encounter. The senators argued it is not compatible with the scientific evidence and needlessly prevents people from donating blood, especially at a time such as now, when there is a national blood shortage. In 2020 alone, the Red Cross had to cancel almost2700 blood drives due to the pandemic.Separately, four Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, including its Chair, Carolyn B.Maloney, sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Woodcock making the same request.TheRed Cross also seeks an end to the deferral. TheAmerican Medical Association has sought to end the deferral since 2014.Since 1985, FDAprohibited blood donations from gay men based upon long ‐​outdated fears that donated blood might potentially transmit the HIV virus. The ban was replaced by a 1 ‑year deferral in 2015, and that deferral wasreduced to 3 months in April 2020 due to the burgeoning blood shortage.Despite a 1998 study showing the prevalence of HIV in men who had sex with men being 0.25 percent, the ban remained in effect for another 17 years. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that all donated bl...

Source: Cato-at-liberty - January 13, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs