#Petition: Gay blood ban - End FDA’s Discriminatory Blood Deferral Policy

Researchers recently announced that HIV now infects more heterosexual people than gay or bisexual men in the U.K. The news rippled across the pond, where the U.S. is facing the worst blood shortage crisis in more than a decade. Jason says that it’s time for the FDA to stop requiring men who have sex with men to abstain from sex before donating blood. Add your name to help end this discriminatory policy. End FDA’s Discriminatory Blood Deferral Policy 918 have signed Jason Johnson’s petition. Let’s get to 1,000!

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The U.S. is facing a national blood shortage crisis, the worst in over a decade. Statistics from American Red Cross 10% overall blood donation decline since March 2020 62% drop in college and high school blood drives due to the pandemic. Student donors accounted for ~25% of donors in 2019 accounted for just ~10% during the pandemic Ongoing blood drive cancellations due to illness, weather-related closures and staffing limitations Additional factors like a surge of COVID-19 cases and an active flu season may compound the already bad situation The Red Cross, which supplies 40% of the nation’s blood supply, has had to limit blood product distributions to hospitals as a result of the shortage. In fact, some hospitals may not receive 1 in 4 blood products they need Blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled and can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors In a time where we are fighting a global pandemic and in desperate need of blood, gay and bi men are still unable to easily donate our perfectly healthy and usable blood. Currently the FDA requires that men who have sex with men must abstain from sex for three months before donating blood. "if the outdated policy is lifted, up to 615,300 additional pints of blood per year—enough blood to help save the lives of more than one million people—can potentially be contributed by gay and bi men." Please sign this petition to end this discriminatory deferral policy to allow gay and bi men the same equal opportunity to help their fellow human through blood donation. Article from San Francisco AIDS Foundation “This is outdated, discriminatory guidance based in prejudice – not in public health – and it is contributing to our current national blood donation crisis,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in his letter to FDA’s Acting Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “I respectfully urge you to permanently lift the entire deferral period in order for a male donor who has had sex with another man from donating blood.” “The FDA’s de facto ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men is outdated, stigmatizing, and not based in science,” said APLA Health CEO Craig E. Thompson. “Leading medical groups have long argued that the agency’s policy should instead be based on a person’s individual risk regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. With the nation now experiencing the worst blood crisis in over a decade, it’s time for the FDA to put an end to its obsolete and discriminatory policy to help ensure a safe and adequate blood supply during the pandemic.” Research by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law indicate that, if the outdated policy is lifted, up to 615,300 additional pints of blood per year—enough blood to help save the lives of more than one million people—can potentially be contributed by gay and bi men. “It’s long past time for the FDA to adopt a policy based on science, not stigma,” said EQCA Legislative Director Tami Martin. “We’re grateful to Commissioner Lara for his continued leadership in the fight to end this outdated, discriminatory ban once and for all.” The FDA’s original lifetime ban against gay and bi men was enacted in 1983 when little was known about the mechanisms of HIV transmission and the AIDS epidemic was concentrated primarily in the gay male community. In 2015 the lifetime ban was partially lifted after the FDA announced that men who have sex with men would be able to donate blood following a year of abstinence. In April 2020 the one-year deferral period was reduced to three months to diminish the nation’s urgent need for blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. “San Francisco AIDS Foundation supports ending the deferral period for blood donation impacting men who have sex with men,” said Kevin Rogers, interim CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “Requiring gay, bisexual, Queer and other men who have sex with men to abstain from sex for three months in order to donate blood is an impractical and fear-based policy, rooted in stigma, that effectively prevents many possible donors from ever donating blood. With pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), regular HIV testing, treatment as prevention, and other HIV prevention tools at our disposal, there are many effective ways for people to prevent HIV infection, or remain undetectable if living with HIV. We fully support screening donors on health history and risk behavior rather than identity and sexual orientation.”

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