FDA to Loosen Blood Donation Guidelines That Restricted Gay, Bisexual Men

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced changes to rules that have long restricted many gay and bisexual men from giving blood. The new guidance, which has yet to go into effect, will instead focus on individual health screenings and take into account the recent sexual history of all donors.

As it stands now, blood donation rules ban any man who has sex with men (MSM) from donating if they’ve had sexual contact in the last three months, including among long-term partners. The same waiting period to give blood also applies to anyone who has sex with MSM. Many in the activist and medical communities have spoken out against…