The horrific shooting that has claimed at least 49 lives at a gay club in Orlando has brought up a hot-button issue for the gay community: the ability to give blood.
Since 1983, the Food and Drug Administration has barred gay and bisexual men from giving blood.
The ban was loosened last December when the agency declared that gay men who have been celibate for a year or more can donate.
The new rules still bar men who are in long-term monogamous relationships.
Countries around the world have thrown out rules barring blood donations for gay men, because there's no science to support a ban on gay blood donation. .
OneBlood, a blood-donation center in Orlando said that it is in urgent need of blood donors following the shooting, but FDA regulations remain in place: All FDA guidelines remain in effect for blood donation. There are false reports circulating that FDA rules were being lifted. Not true.
That means it’s illegal for a gay man to donate blood to victims of the massacre, but It’s legal to buy an AR-15 assault rifle.
A shame!
Long lines of people wait to donate blood... except gay men
The rules are very strict in the USA. It's not just gay and bisexual men - it is also people who have travelled around the world and lived in other nations. I believe that (need to check) anyone who has spent 3 months or more in the UK from 1980 - 1996, or anyone who has lived other nations for more than 5 years including most of Europe cannot donate because of Mad Cow Disease concerns. The USA is just very uptight and some of the rules are incredibly complicated.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eddi for your explanations. As usual your comments are not only interesting but well founded also
ReplyDeleteBy Eugene Darden:
ReplyDeleteThey should not have that rule ,but that should not stop us for giving..🌈🌈🌈
By Tim Peter:
ReplyDeleteHopefully, Hilary Clinton will overturn this blood ban! It was necessary in the early days of HIV/AIDS, but America along with most first-world nations, has the ability to separate good blood from bad & prevent infected blood of any type from being used. With 30+ years of research & development behind us, this is unnecessary & even senseless by now!