The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently has an indefinite ban on accepting blood from men who have sex with men.
The practice started as a way to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS epidemic; however, given the proliferation of the disease into the heterosexual population, the rigorous testing of the blood donated, and the other disqualifying factors asked before blood can be donated, there is no reason to believe that blood from men who have sex with men is any more dangerous than any other blood donated.
We call on President Obama to ask the FDA to study the impact of ending the lifetime deferral on men who have sex with men.
In a time when more and more blood is needed every day across the country, what justification is there for keeping millions of citizens from saving lives?