Axios reports:
More gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood beginning Monday as the Red Cross starts implementing a historic rule change approved by federal authorities earlier this year.
It helps close the chapter on the Food and Drug Administration’s blood donor restrictions for men who have sex with men, which had been denounced as discriminatory by medical and LGBTQ organizations.
The restrictions were established during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Starting Monday, individual donor risk assessments will be conducted for all potential donors regardless of gender or sexual orientation, per the Red Cross.
Read the full article.
Blood donation rules have changed to be more inclusive! All donors will answer the same eligibility questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation, and more people can give lifesaving blood with the Red Cross while keeping the blood supply safe.
We’ve worked for years… pic.twitter.com/htnLg3AHOm
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 7, 2023
