More than 500 medical professionals claim to remove the ban on men who have sex with other men donating blood in the United States

GAYLES.TV.- Men who have sex with other men were prohibited until 2015 donate blood en United States. It was then that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) applied a restriction to any male donor who has had sex with another man (MSM) in the past year. The crisis of coronavirus has caused a extreme shortage in blood banksso last April 2nd the FDA recess from one year to three months this postponement period.

The asociación GLAAD issued a open letter signed by more than 500 medical professionals in which they denounced the FDA that three months is equally discriminatory. Although United States While restrictions have been relaxed for the duration of the pandemic and 60 days after the state of emergency is lifted, it remains an act of homophobia to limit blood donation to men who have sex with other men.

The letter includes signatories from world-class hospitals and universities, such as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, Duke University, The University of California - San Francisco y The University of California - Berkeley, Emory University, Boston University, The University of Minnesota, la Vanderbilt University, el Mount Sinai Hospital, el Massachusetts General Hospital and New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Risk based assessment

The text states that «the recent decision of the FDA shortening the 3-month ban window is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't go far enough to reverse the unscientific ban«. The signatories "ask the FDA to reverse its nonscientific and discriminatory prohibition against men who have sex with men to donate blood in favor of risk-based screening«. Risk-based assessment means asking about people's behavior and whether they have unsafe sex, rather than excluding all gay and bisexual men.

The President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellisdeclared:The decision of the FDA reducing the deferment period for men who have sex with men from 12 months to 3 months is one step to be more in line with the science, but still imperfect. We will continue to fight until the postponement period is lifted and gay and bisexual men, and all LGBTQ people, are treated the same as everyone else.«.