Listen Live
WOLB Featured Video
CLOSE

The United States government has finally lifted the 30-year ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood in order to prevent HIV transmission.

The Food and Drug Administration said its decision to reverse the policy was based on the fact that the ban is not necessary to prevent HIV from being transmitted via blood. Still, there’s a one-year waiting period for men who have sex with men (MSM), and Gay rights advocates say the updated policy remains discriminatory.

It is ridiculous and counter to the public health that a married gay man in a monogamous relationship can’t give blood, but a promiscuous straight man who has had hundreds of opposite sex partners in the last year can,” said Jared Polis, a Democratic congressman and co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, a caucus of openly gay members of Congress.

However, the FDA claims it works with several government agencies and believes the new policy is justified.

SOURCE: TIME | VIDEO SOURCE: Inform

After 30-Year Ban, Gay Men Can Finally Donate Blood  was originally published on globalgrind.com