WASHINGTON — Homosexual and bisexual males in monogamous relationships can donate blood within the U.S. with out abstaining from intercourse, beneath a federal coverage finalized Thursday by well being regulators.
The Meals and Drug Administration pointers ease decades-old restrictions designed to guard the blood provide from HIV. The company introduced plans for the change in January and mentioned this week the brand new strategy can now be applied by blood banks.
The up to date pointers eliminate a requirement that males who’ve intercourse with males abstain from intercourse for 3 months previous to giving blood.
As an alternative, all potential donors—no matter sexual orientation, intercourse or gender—will probably be screened with a brand new questionnaire that evaluates their particular person dangers for HIV primarily based on sexual habits, latest companions and different components. Potential donors who report having anal intercourse with new companions within the final three months will probably be barred from giving till a later date.
The FDA mentioned the brand new coverage displays the most recent scientific proof and is in step with guidelines within the U.Okay. and Canada.
It’s the most recent transfer by the FDA to broaden donor eligibility, with the potential to spice up donations.
“The implementation of those suggestions will symbolize a major milestone for the company and the LGBTQI+ neighborhood,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s heart for organic therapies, mentioned in a press release.
Homosexual rights teams have lengthy opposed blanket restrictions on who can provide blood, saying they discriminate. Medical societies together with the American Medical Affiliation have additionally mentioned such exclusions are pointless given advances in blood testing.
Anybody who has ever examined constructive for HIV will proceed to be ineligible to donate blood. These taking capsules to stop HIV via sexual contact may even nonetheless be barred, till three months after their final dose. The FDA famous that the drugs, referred to as PrEP, can delay the detection of the virus in screening assessments.
The FDA units necessities and procedures for U.S. blood banks. All potential donors reply questions on their sexual historical past, injectable drug use and any latest tattoos or piercings, amongst different components that may contribute to the unfold of blood-borne infections. Donated blood is then examined for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis and different infectious ailments.
In 2015, the FDA dropped the lifetime ban on donations from males who’ve intercourse with males and changed it with a one-year abstinence requirement. Then in 2020, the company shortened the abstinence interval to a few months, after donations plummeted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regulators mentioned there was no detrimental affect on the blood provide because of these modifications.
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