In the wake of the massacre in an Orlando nightclub, where 50 people died, many gay and bisexual men cannot donate blood to help the surviving victims. A recent rule change removed the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men from donating blood, allowing men who have sex with men to donate blood after abstaining from sex for one year. This rule change continues to exclude the vast majority of gay and bisexual men in America from donating blood. Even men in monogamous relationships, including married gay men, are barred from donating blood. Recent medical advances can detect HIV in as little as nine days from the time of infection, which renders moot the reasoning behind the FDA rule. This petition asks the FDA to change its rules and allow gay and bisexual men to donate life-giving blood.
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