CINCINNATI — Sexually active gay and bisexual men will soon be able to donate blood.
The Food and Drug Administration guidelines finalized Thursday will eliminate a decades-old ban on blood donations originally put in place to keep HIV out of the blood supply. The updated guidelines focus on donor behavior — not sexual orientation.
All potential donors — regardless of sexual orientation, sex or gender — will be screened with a new questionnaire that evaluates their individual risks for HIV based on sexual behavior, recent partners and other factors. Potential donors who report having anal sex with new partners in the last three months will be barred from giving until a later date.
Anyone who has ever tested positive for HIV still cannot donate blood. Anyone taking pills to prevent HIV through sexual contact will also still be barred until three months after their last dose.
Leaders at Hoxworth Blood Center said they are anxious for the change.
"It’s part of belonging to the community and I think that to exclude gay men who have had trouble with inclusion in the community because of some people not accepting that, I think it was very difficult to see this codified by blood centers and not allowing them to donate," said Dr. David Oh, chief medical officer for Hoxworth. "So I’m hopeful that gay men who are now allowed to donate according to the new rules that we have will come and give and feel part of the community."
But blood centers are asking for patience as they work to implement the latest guidelines. The American Red Cross said it will continue to follow the previous guidance until it is able to implement the changes. Oh said it will be before the end of the year when all procedures are adjusted at Hoxworth.
"We much intend to have this in place by the end of the calendar year which was our original goal — maybe we can move it up a little bit but it’s a matter of a lot of procedural stuff at the blood center level," Oh said.
The FDA dropped its lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood in 2015, changing it to a deferral of one year for any man who has had sex with another man in the past 12 months. In 2020, that deferral was moved from 12 to three months. The latest change is in line with rules in the UK and Canada.
In addition to questions about their sexual history, all potential donors are also asked about drug use, recent tattoos or piercings and more that could result in the spread of blood-borne infections. Donated blood is then tested for HIV, syphilis and other diseases.
This story includes reporting from the Associated Press.
