FDA to consider whether to relax US gay blood ban
By Josh Haggis
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to debate whether to relax the US ban on gay men donating blood.
The law, which was introduced in 1983 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and prohibits all gay men from donating blood for life, has been widely criticised by groups including the Red Cross and The American Medical Association in recent years.
Earlier this month (November), an advisory committee recommended to the FDA that the 31-year ban be lowered to a 12-month restriction that would mirror the UK’s current law on gay blood donation.
“Following deliberations taking into consideration the available evidence, the FDA will issue revised guidance, if appropriate,” an FDA spokesperson told The Hill.
Glenn Cohen, a medical professor at Harvard Law School, added: “It’s a little crazy that you can shed blood for your country, but you can’t donate blood to another human being.”
A recent study found that lifting the ban on gay blood donation in the US could save over 1.8 million lives a year. Find out more here.
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