In 1985, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, the FDA banned blood donations from all men who have sex with men. It has remained in place to this day.
Not only is this policy discriminatory, it is preventing many eligible donors from donating, at a time when blood is desperately needed.
An effective replacement of this ban would be the following question:
‘Have you had unprotected sexual contact with a new partner in the past 12 weeks?’
A ‘yes’ answer would trigger a deferral ‘based on the window period of HIV. This change avoids discrimination and addresses risky behaviors that presently go overlooked. All individuals should be eligible to donate if they otherwise pass all of the FDA’s requirements, including a disease-free status.