The US government last week lifted restrictions on blood donation from gay men (and not only) due to the reduction of the blood supply in the country associated with an outbreak of the coronavirus.
The new policy of Management on control over products and medicines (FDA) aims to give the opportunity to tens of thousands of Americans to donate blood, including gay and bisexual men, people with recent tattoos and piercings.
«We need healthy people, all healthy people to donate blood,» said Dr. Jerome Adams, who announced the policy change the FDA on the briefing.
Last month, according to red cross estimates, the US had 86 000 fewer cases of blood donation, because they were abolished in workplaces, colleges and so on.
Previous FDA regulations were forbidden to sacrifice the blood of men who have had sex with men during the year. The same policy was applied to women who have had sexual relations with gay or bisexual men and people who did tattoos and piercings in the past year.
In accordance with the new policy term reduced to three months. Similar changes have been made in the restrictions for people who have recently traveled to countries where there is a risk of malaria.
The Agency said they expect the changes will remain in effect after the end of the pandemic.
Group on the protection of the rights of LGBT people repeatedly tried to challenge the old rules, stating that they are not needed, given current testing technologies.
Donated blood is always tested for the presence of a number of infectious diseases, including HIV. New coronavirus can spread through the blood.
