In response to a critical need for blood donations, the FDA is easing its restrictions on donations from gay men. It now allows men who have sex with men to donate after three months of abstinence, instead of a year.
To be clear, the restrictions technically apply to "men who have sex with men," but they've also affected pansexual men, non-binary people, trans people, and women who've had sex with men who have sex with men. Basically anyone who stresses out Mike Pence.
Still, gay and bisexual men remain most broadly affected, and now, some are even being turned away from donating when their blood could be critical for fighting coronavirus.
Even for gay men who DO meet the three month abstinence requirement--basically, the nerds--the FDA issued the change so suddenly, many blood centers haven't yet had the chance to train staffers or update their computer systems.
The Red Cross only JUST managed to implement the change on June 8th, more than 2 months after the FDA's ruling.
While the FDA claims the restrictions exist to protect the blood supply from HIV, health experts and LGBTQ advocates agree it's really just an outdated policy rooted in homophobia and stigma. Being gay isn't inherently a risk factor for HIV.
In Spain and Italy, blood centers ask all donors if they've engaged in specific risky sexual behavior--regardless of sexual orientation. There's no reason the US shouldn't also adopt non-discriminatory guidelines. It's a no brainer. We need blood.
If you get tested regularly, take PrEP, use condoms, or are monogamous with someone HIV-negative or undetectable, you're unlikely to contract HIV. In fact, the only thing you're likely to get in a monogamous relationship is a deep understanding of House Hunters International.
