In 1983, the FDA banned men who have ever had sex with men (MSM) from donating blood, including those who have had only one same-sex encounter in their lifetime . In 2013, when countries such as Australia and the UK allow gay and bisexual men to donate, the FDA still refuses to let a large percentage of Americans to help out their fellow citizens.
The American Red Cross, the City Council of Washington D.C, America's Blood Centers, and many other humanitarian and Scientific groups have been petitioning the FDA to repeal its ban for over a decade, and the FDA has only recently begun discussions to "rethink" its policy.
With many blood banks across the US running dangerously low on supplies and countless studies proving that the MSM ban is unnecessary, it's time for the FDA to act.