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We will keep fighting until the deferral period is lifted and gay and bi men, and all LGBTQ people, are treated equal to others.
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The FDA’s decision to lower the deferral period on men who have sex with men from 12 months to 3 months is a step towards being more in line with science, but remains imperfect. "This is a victory for all of us who raised our collective voices against the discriminatory ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. FDA recommends that a man who has had sex with another man be deferred from donating blood for three months following the most recent sexual contact with. The claim: Red Cross says people vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot donate plasma A lack of blood drives amid the coronavirus pandemic has caused a blood plasma shortage across the country, but. "LGBTQ Americans can hold their heads up today and know that our voices will always triumph over discrimination," GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. In the last week Democratic senators and gay rights advocacy groups have called on the federal government to loosen these restrictions, citing the recent blood shortages caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. This effectively places a ban on most gay and. Both the Red Cross and Americas Blood Centers, which together represent 800. hospitals and a desire to get plasma with antibodies from COVID-19 survivors. We must right this wrong now and without delay." In both the United States and Australia, men are only able to donate blood if they have abstained from sexual contact with another man for 12 months. NBC News found that despite the rule change hundreds of the nation’s blood centers are still unable to accept blood from gay men, even though theres a desperate need for blood at U.S. About 15.7 million blood donations are collected in the U.S. Continuing to enforce the de facto prohibition on blood donation by sexually active gay and bisexual men does not reflect the best science available. The American Red Cross estimates the risk of getting an HIV-positive blood donation is 1 in 1.5 million for all U.S. He continued, "As the global pandemic wears on, the integrity and safety of the blood supply in this country must be preserved, strengthened, and maintained. But our work is not yet done."ĭavid said it was "critical to prioritize science and facts over fear and bias," referring to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Know more about the policy or give feedback. "While this change by the FDA is a step in the right direction, it still bases itself in bias rather than science," Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. Keeping Australias blood supply safe is a priority for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, recognized the FDA’s move as a step forward but said there’s more work to be done. Some hospitals are facing an oxygen shortage amid coronavirus crisis