why can't gay males donate blood

Right now in the U.S., gay and bisexual men (often referred to as MSM, or “men who have sex with men”) are not allowed to give blood if they’ve had sex with another man in the past three months. The same is true for women who’ve had sex with MSM.

Full Answer

Can bisexual men donate blood?

Nov 01, 2019 · Blanket ban. A lifetime blanket ban on blood donation for any man who had ever had sex with a man was introduced following a rise in HIV and hepatitis B cases in the 1970s and 1980s. Once it was realised that these conditions could be passed on through blood, it was crucial that those who were most at risk of contracting the viruses, including gay and bisexual men, …

When can gay men donate blood in Denmark?

Mar 29, 2021 · Letting Gay Men Donate Blood Could Help Solve a Major Health Crisis. The U.S. faces a national blood shortage. Overturning a biased and outdated ban is not only the right thing—it has enormous ...

Can I donate blood if I am transgender?

Banned for life: Why gay men still can't donate blood. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images. Link copied. July 14, 2013, 2:42 PM UTC. By Mike Darling. David Dassey is …

Why can't some people donate blood?

Aug 21, 2016 · Why so many gay and bisexual men can’t donate blood in the U.S. Aug 20, 2016 7:48 PM EST

What is NAT test?

That changed in 1999 thanks to a faster and far more accurate process called Nucleic Acid Testing -- NAT, for short. Unlike the EIA test, the NAT can detect the amount of actual virus in the bloodstream, not just the antibodies produced to fight it.

When did HIV test come out?

They are the crux of every argument for overturning the ban on gay donors worldwide. When the first HIV tests arrived in 1985, they were relatively rudimentary, designed to detect high levels of antibodies in the blood -- which was only effective if HIV had evolved beyond its "window period.".

What percentage of the population is eligible to donate blood?

These eligibility criteria apply to all U.S. blood collection organizations. Only an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time.

Does the Red Cross test blood for infectious diseases?

Yes. The Red Cross tests each unit of donated blood for a number of infectious diseases. While testing has greatly improved, it is not 100 percent effective at detecting infectious diseases in donors with very early infection.

Is blood donation based on sexual orientation?

The American Red Cross believes blood donation eligibility should not be determined by methods that are based upon sexual orientation. We are committed to working with partners toward achieving this goal. We understand that there is a difference between biological sex and gender.

How old do you have to be to donate blood?

Blood donation rules and criteria. According to general blood donation criteria, donors must: be at least 16 years of age. weigh at least 110 pounds. not have mild illnesses, such as a cold or the flu. not have unmedicated diabetes, anemia, or hypertension (high blood pressure)

What do you need to know before donating blood?

Before donating blood, a person will need to complete a Blood Donor History Questionnaire (DHQ). Typically, the questions in the DHQ will ask a person about their health, recent travel, medications, and potential risk of infections.

What is trusted source?

Trusted Source. of passing bloodborne infections to the recipient or causing other potential complications due to incompatible blood types. Previously, MSM would face deferral for 12 months and could only donate after a year of abstinence.

What is a needle used for?

using needles to take drugs, steroids, or other substances that a doctor has not prescribed. having sex with an individual who meets any of the above criteria in the last 3 months. receiving a blood transfusion in the last 3 months.

How long is the deferral period for blood donation?

Some experts recommend that the deferral period should instead be 2 weeks and that blood donation criteria should undergo further revision to treat all people equally. Rather than a discriminatory blanket ban on certain individuals, they say that blood centers could evaluate donors based on “concrete risky behaviors.”.

What is a 3 month deferral?

The 3-month deferral is an attempt to reduce the risk of passing on infections. If a person acquires an infection in this window, current screening methods and other tests may not be able to detect the infection. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source.

What does the researcher #n#trusted source#have suggested?

Researchers#N#Trusted Source#N#have suggested that the current criteria rely on old biases and that scientists should advocate for policies rooted in science and against ones that unnecessarily marginalize groups of people.

What Science Says

The science definitely does not support the ban. These days, all blood is tested, and HIV can be detected within about nine days of infection. The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees blood donation, recently started allowing gay men to donate blood, but only if they’ve been celibate for the last year.

A Better Way

So, what would be better? Instead of just refusing blood from all gay men, the United States could do what some other countries do: Ask each individual donor about behavior and risk factors. An individualized assessment is highly effective in Italy, for example.