It’s a contested position, to be sure, and in the aftermath of a devastating Orlando nightclub ambush during which a gunman killed about 50 patrons and injured at least as many, reports began to circulate that a Florida blood bank was rescinding the regulation that gay men can’t give blood in a terribly ironic situation, because the club that was attacked, Pulse, has been a haven for members of the LGBT community.
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There may be lines at Bloodworks Northwest in Tukwila Monday. It’s one of the blood centers throughout Western Washington that is ready to help. Schedule an appointment here.
The Food and Drug Administration’s official stance is that blood donation centers should not accept blood from gay men who have had sex with other men in the past year. You know who can’t donate it?
But with modern developments like the creation of effective blood tests came criticism that the lifetime ban on gay men was archaic and homophobic.
Statement from World Health Organization also said that regular voluntary unpaid blood donors are the foundation of a safe blood supply because they are associated with low levels of infection that can be transmitted by transfusions, including HIV and hepatitis viruses.
Though response from the public has been huge, sexually active gay and bisexual men are still barred from donating.
Under the latest rules, gay and bisexual men may donate blood, provided it has been 12 months since their last sexual encounter with another man. As of December 2015, the HIV transmission through blood transfusion rate was one in 1.47 million.
Many hit back at the ban online, saying it’s easier to buy a gun than for a gay man to donate blood in the United States.
“While many gay and bisexual men will be eligible to donate their blood and help save lives under this 12-month deferral, countless more will continue to be banned exclusively on the basis of their sexual orientation and without medical or scientific reasoning”, the National Gay Blood Drive said in a statement after the FDA revised its rules.
Some activists think the rule still goes too far and continues to stigmatize gay men.
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However, the OneBlood donation center said in a tweet Sunday that all FDA guidelines remained in place. The theme has been chosen to highlight the common bond that all people share in their blood. For some people, it can take up to six months.
