Those individuals who are HIV-negative and taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to prevent infection are allowed to donate. This change came on April 2, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was rolling back the deferral period for MSM from the previous 12-month period to the current three-month wait time.Īnyone who is HIV-positive is not allowed to donate. Men who have had sex with another man in the past three months are not allowed to donate. What Criteria Do Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) Need to Meet to Donate? Yes, provided they meet certain criteria, in addition to those mentioned above. Can Gay and Bisexual Men Donate Blood, Platelets, and Plasma? That information is available on the American Red Cross’ website. Different types of donations-blood, platelet, and plasma-all carry different requirements. What Are the Basic Criteria for Donating Blood, Platelets, and Plasma in the United States?Īll donors must meet basic requirements, like time since last donation, feeling well enough to donate, age (you must be at least 16 or 17, depending on type of donation), and weight. With the FDA releasing updated recommendations, this fact sheet is designed to aid LGBTQ individuals in determining their eligibility to donate blood, platelets, and plasma. Guidelines have been updated over the years, and another change to policy relevant to the community came this month.
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Several changes were later made to the blood donation regime until deferral periods for donations by gay men were lowered from a lifetime ban to three months in 2019.Ī Red Cross worker handles a blood donation, while at a basketball court in Los Angeles, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.During times of need, such as we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 health crisis, there are calls for blood and plasma donations, and LGBTQ people are left asking if they are even allowed to help. The policy began in 1992 as an outright ban on gay men donating blood following a tainted blood scandal. The agency says asking about sexual behavior rather than sexual orientation will allow it to more reliably assess the risk of infections such as HIV.Ĭatherine Lewis, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Services, said the criteria change is “science-informed“ and allows the agency to be more inclusive about who can donate while still ensuring a safe blood supply. If they have, they will need to wait three months after such activity before donating blood. Those who say yes will be asked if they have engaged in higher-sisk sex. 30, potential donors will be asked if they have had new or multiple sexual partners in the last previous months, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. The blood service asked Health Canada to allow it to scrap questions about gender or sexuality, and instead base screening on higher-risk sexual behavior such as anal sex.
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CAN GAY MEN DONATE BLOOD NOW HOW TO
READ MORE: How to help amid a national blood shortage
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Health Canada approved the request by Canadian Blood Services to end the policy that restricts homosexuals from donating blood for three months after engaging in gay sex. Trudeau said his government spent C$5 million dollars (US$3.9 million) on research into the safety aspects of changing the blood donation rules and multiple scientific reports showed “our blood supply will continue to be safe.” Trudeau said at a news conference the ban should have ended 10 to 15 years ago, but research proving it would not affect the safety of the blood supply had not been done by previous governments. OTTAWA (AP) - Health Canada on Thursday lifted restrictions on gay men donating blood, a move Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said was “good news for all Canadians” but had taken too long.