The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed that blood donor assessments measure particular person danger and don’t exclude individuals primarily based on their sexual orientation or gender
Health
30 January 2023
The US is proposing new guidelines that don’t restrict blood donation primarily based on gender or sexual orientation Belish/Shutterstock
On 27 January, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new guidelines that may make it simpler for homosexual and bisexual males to donate blood. The proposed pointers are just like these in international locations such because the UK and Canada – they suggest screening blood donors primarily based on the kind of sexual exercise they interact in, not their gender or sexual orientation.
All donated blood is screened for pathogens, however these exams can’t precisely detect HIV or hepatitis infections till just a few weeks to some months after publicity. Men who’ve intercourse with males are at a larger danger of contracting HIV and hepatitis, so that they have historically been restricted from donating blood within the US.
Currently, males can’t donate blood within the US if they’ve had intercourse with a person through the earlier three months. And, anybody who has had intercourse within the final three months with a person who engages in sexual exercise with different males can also be barred from donating. As such, males in monogamous relationships with different males can’t donate blood, though their danger of getting HIV is far decrease than that of males with a number of companions.
Now, the FDA has proposed that males who’ve intercourse with males can donate blood as long as they haven’t engaged in anal intercourse with a brand new or a number of companions within the earlier three months. The determination is predicated on findings from the FDA’s ADVANCE research, which investigated how the impacts of adjusting the rules – the outcomes counsel these modifications received’t compromise the security of the blood provide. Instead, nobody, no matter their gender, can donate blood in the event that they report having a brand new or a number of sexual companions and have engaged in anal intercourse within the earlier three months.
“That has to do with the risk of exchanging blood during vaginal intercourse versus anal intercourse,” mentioned Peter Marks on the FDA throughout a press convention. “Anal sex is associated with a higher risk of exchanging blood.”
The steering would nonetheless apply to individuals who use condoms throughout anal intercourse, mentioned Marks.
The proposal would additionally bar blood donations from individuals taking HIV prevention drugs resembling pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). While these scale back the chance of contracting HIV, Marks mentioned individuals utilizing the medication have larger incidences of HIV in contrast with the overall inhabitants.
“Until we can better sort out who is at lower risk in that group taking PrEP, we need to put this donor deferral in place,” he mentioned. “That’s not to say we won’t continue to look at this and try to refine the guidelines further.”
The public has 60 days to touch upon the rules, after which the FDA could revise the steering earlier than finalising it. Once ultimate, it shouldn’t take lengthy for blood donation centres to replace their screening questionnaires, mentioned Marks.
A spokesperson for the American Red Cross mentioned the organisation “is pleased the FDA has proposed to determine blood donor-eligibility using a gender-inclusive, individual risk-based assessment regardless of sexual orientation”.
“Donating blood is one of several important symbolic methods of demonstrating one’s caring for other people,” mentioned FDA commissioner Robert Califf on the press convention. “So, we want to make that available to everyone possible in the context of safe blood supplies.”
“LGBTQ+ advocates and other health advocate leaders have worked for decades to pressure the FDA and other regulatory agencies to update policy and move toward adopting an approach rooted in science, not in identity,” mentioned Kelley Robinson on the Human Rights Campaign in a press release. Robinson mentioned that this “represents an important first step toward dismantling an antiquated and discriminatory blood donation policy that restricts gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men from donating blood”.
Sign as much as our free Health Check e-newsletter for a round-up of all of the well being and health news you could know, each Saturday
More on these subjects:
Source: www.newscientist.com