In response to the AIDS crisis of the 80's, the FDA decided it would be best to ban ALL men who have had sex with another man from donating blood. This was decided in 1983, while there was NO way to test blood for the virus. It is the end of 2010, and yet the ban is still in full effect.

Earlier this year, 34 members of The House Of Representatives, 9 U.S. Senators, and various gay rights groups called for the federal government to revise what they described as the FDA's discriminatory policy. The Medical Director of Blood Centers of the Pacific, who provide blood and blood components to hospitals, doctors and patients in Northern California, Dr. Kim-Anh Nguyen states, "We recognize there's some inconsistency.  For instance, a woman who has sex with a man who's known to have AIDS will get a 12-month deferral and a man who's had sex with another man - even just once since 1977 - would be deferred for life."  How is this not discriminatory?

The FDA MSM (men who have sex with men) blood ban is still in place.  The FDA states that their MSM discrimination policy "reduces the likelihood that a person would unknowingly donate blood during the ‘window period’ of infection," but it fails to state that despite who one has had sex with (male + female, female + female, or male + male) THERE IS ALWAYS A WINDOW PERIOD FOR INFECTION.

Meanwhile, THERE IS A BLOOD SHORTAGE ON OUR HANDS.  SURGERIES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.  If the MSM donor ban were to be COMPLETELY lifted it would add 219,000 pints to the U.S. blood supply and 903 organ donations each year, according to a study released in early January 2010, by the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law & Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law. The study found that allowing for a 12-month waiting period for those who have engaged in risky sexual behavior would add about 90,000 pints of blood.

The importance of infection free blood for patients is vital!!

Please join me in asking for SAFER blood donations that REQUIRE the FDA to place a ban on ALL those wishing to donate who practice UNSAFE SEX, be they gay or straight, black or white, male or female.