The Food and Drug Administration currently bans any man who has had sexual intercourse with another man since 1977 from donating blood. This ban also bans a woman who has had a male partner who has had homosexual relations from donating blood for one year.
These bans are based on outdated and Reagan-era fears of HIV/AIDS. All blood donated through an FDA-funded blood drive is screened for toxins and diseases, making a ban on JUST homosexual men and females who have had sex with bisexual men pointless.
President Obama, we are asking you to talk to your administration and begin the process of dismantling this archaic ban that has turned so many willing donors away during a time when blood donations are greatly needed by healthcare professionals and patients.