FDA: Celibate Gay Men Might Be Able To Donate Blood

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel today is considering lifting a 31-year-old ban on gay men donating blood — but only if they report that they haven't had sex in the previous year.

Several groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Red Cross, support lifting restrictions.

Several advocacy organizations say the change would be a step in the right direction, but are concerned the revised regulation would continue to stigmatize gay men, because even those who have been monogamous for decades still would not be allowed to give blood.

"Its discriminatory effect is clear," said Jason Cianciotto, the director of public policy at the Gay Mens Health Crisis. "It still bans gay and bisexual men who routinely engage in low-risk behavior, men who would otherwise be able to donate if they happened to be heterosexual."

Cianciotto, who is slated to testify at today's FDA hearings in Washington, said current blood screening technology can pick up HIV if it's been present for as little as two weeks — so a one-year waiting period is not based on science.

He and other advocates would like to see screeners more rigorously question prospective donors' sexual behavior, irrespective of orientation.

"Someone who is heterosexual but doesn't fit the notion of who gets HIV in this U.S. could very well participate in risky behavior but not be screened out," Cianciotto said, "just the same way that a gay person could participate in risky behavior."