FDA lifts ban on gay blood donors

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its lifetime ban on homosexual blood donors. But the new regulations acknowledge the high rates of HIV infection among men who have sex with other men, an admission that left gay rights activists fuming.

The new regulations bar donations from homosexual men who have had sex with another man in the past year. The FDA notes the new regulations are backed by science and align the United States with other countries like the United Kingdom and Australia, which also enforce 12-month deferrals. Prior research from UCLA’s Williams Institute indicates the newly eligible donors will increase the U.S. blood supply by 2 to 4 percent.

“The FDA’s responsibility is to maintain a high level of blood product safety for people whose lives depend on it,” said the FDA’s acting commissioner, Stephen Ostroff. “We have taken great care to ensure this policy revision is backed by sound science and continues to protect our blood supply.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homosexual and bisexual men are the demographic group most affected by HIV and AIDS. In 2010, homosexual and bisexual men represented 63 percent of HIV infections and 78 percent of new infections.

The previous ban was in place for more than 30 years. The FDA enacted it after thousands contracted AIDS in the 1980s from blood tainted with HIV.

The agency began considering the new regulations last year after years of lobbying from medical and gay-rights groups. It considered lifting the ban entirely but chose the one-year rule primarily after examining data from Australia, which has implemented a similar rule for the last decade. No data exists for a shorter deferral period.

“Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence,” said Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We will continue to actively conduct research in this area and further revise our policies as new data emerge.”

The current blood donor questionnaire asks whether the male donor has had sex with another man since 1977. The new questionnaire will ask whether the male donor has had sex with another man in the past 12 months.

The FDA also bans donors who’ve had sex with a prostitute or used intravenous drugs in the past 12 months.

Despite the significantly loosened ban, gay rights activists are dissatisfied, saying the regulation still stigmatizes gay and bisexual men.

“It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology,” said David Stacy, head of the Human Rights Campaign’s federal policy team.

But the Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, and America’s Blood Centers said they were “pleased” with the regulations, a change they have advocated since 2006. Blood banks will require several months to update their policies and procedures before they begin accepting donations from gay and bisexual men, the groups said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.