FDA finalizes new guidelines on blood donations
The Meals and Drug Administration on Thursday finalized new guidelines eliminating blanket restrictions on blood donations from LGBT males, responding to long-standing stress from advocates, blood banks and public well being teams.
The brand new tips are as a substitute centered on particular person danger behaviors, fairly than sexual orientation. The principles block anybody from donating blood if they’ve had new or a number of sexual companions and have additionally had anal intercourse within the earlier three months. Anal intercourse carries a a lot greater danger of HIV transmission than vaginal intercourse.
“The FDA has labored diligently to judge our insurance policies and guarantee we had the scientific proof to help particular person danger evaluation for donor eligibility whereas sustaining acceptable safeguards to guard recipients of blood merchandise. The implementation of those suggestions will symbolize a big milestone for the company and the LGBTQI+ neighborhood,” mentioned Peter Marks, director of the Heart for Biologics Analysis and Analysis.
“The FDA is dedicated to working intently with the blood assortment business to assist guarantee well timed implementation of the brand new suggestions, and we’ll proceed to observe the protection of the blood provide as soon as this particular person risk-based strategy is in place.”
The FDA first proposed the rule in January to cheers from advocates, lecturers and blood banks.
