Gay and bisexual men are still restricted from giving blood, in a move that LGBTQ activists call discriminatory.
Summary
- The U.S. is facing a national blood crisis, the “worst blood shortage in over a decade,” the American Red Cross warns.
- Despite this urgent need for donations, people who have sex with gay or bisexual men are still facing restrictions on their ability to give blood.
- The agency changed the deferral period from 12 months to three months in November 2020 as blood donations fell and hospitals faced critical shortages during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, who are considered to be at high risk for HIV or AIDS transmission, date back to the 1980s.
- They encourage gay and bisexual men who are 18 to 39 years old to participate in the research.