Can i give blood if i am a gay man

Our goal is to foster an inclusive blood donor community which reflects the vibrant and diverse patient community we serve. Any individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, who has had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, and also had anal sex in that timeframe, will be asked to wait three months to.

Compassion and transparency are a priority for We Are Blood as we implement these changes. Is this change being made because of political correctness? We Are Blood is dedicated to protecting the safety of the community blood supply and creating safe and inclusive spaces for our donor community.

Only the FDA has the authority to approve changes to the eligibility criteria in line with evidence. Prior FDA guidance required a three-month deferral for any male who has had sex with another male in the past three months. Yes. In Maythe FDA issued revised donor deferral recommendations to include gender-inclusive, sexual behavior-based screening questions for all blood donors.

The following donor eligibility questions will now be asked of all individuals who arrive to donate at our donor centers and mobile drives:. Multiple sexual partners can also increase the chance of HIV transmission.

If you or your friends, family, or loved ones are currently deferred at We Are Blood for the donor eligibility criteria related to sexual history, please complete the Deferral Eligibility Change Request Form. To learn more, read our May 12 blog post.

Why does it take so long to change the eligibility criteria? This is because, statistically, anal sex has a significantly higher chance of HIV transmission per sex act than vaginal or oral sex. Are gay and bisexual men now eligible to donate blood?

Research shows that men who have sex with men in monogamous relationships are no more likely than anyone else to have undiagnosed HIV. We want to welcome as many donors who can safely donate as possible. Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment guidance, there are no eligibility criteria related to men who have sex with men.

With the updated guidelines, most gay and bisexual men who are in a monogamous relationship with a man will no longer have to refrain from sex in order to donate blood. The new donor eligibility screening criteria focuses on anal sex in the context of new or multiple partners, rather than vaginal or oral sex.

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Individuals who have never been deferred at We Are Blood for those criteria are now able to come in to donate under the new eligibility criteria. Can gay and bisexual men (MSM) donate blood? Learn about federal regulations related to blood donation by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and Gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+) individuals.

Donor eligibility undergoes frequent revisions resulting in changes based on current scientific evidence. We Are Blood is connecting with organizations who serve and advocate for LGBTQ community members locally, to share detailed information about the upcoming eligibility changes and receive feedback.

Thanks to new federal guidelines finalized in May, gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate at many blood centers around the country. The new FDA guidance recommends 1 the removal of donor eligibility questions that consider the gender of a donor and their sexual partners and 2 the implementation of new donor eligibility questions related to sexual activity that do not consider gender.

With this update, the gender of a donor and their sexual partners will no longer be a consideration for donor eligibility. Inclusive donation policies are the right thing to do and expands our donor base, which means there are more life-saving treatments available.

Medications taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of HIV infection PrEP or PEP will result in deferral for three months if taken as an oral medication or two years if taken via injection. This collaboration helps ensure that We Are Blood supports and welcomes newly eligible donors in our community with respect and humility.

Current testing is most effective at detecting HIV 90 days after exposure; these medications may also delay HIV detection by current screening tests for blood donations, potentially resulting in false negative results. We Are Blood recommends that potential donors follow the advice of their physicians about taking PrEP or PEP medications and does not recommend stopping any prescribed medication to be able to donate blood.