Donor deferrals: The FDA’s blood policy on gay men falls short

The Food and Drug Administration soon will permit men who have had sex with other men to donate blood — but only if they haven’t been sexually active for a year. So many gay men still won’t be eligible to donate, and the nation’s blood supply will continue to suffer for it.

The FDA’s recent decision to replace its 31-year-old ban on blood donations from men who have had sex with other men with a yearlong deferral has been met with praise from some advocates, but anger from others. The agency says its decision is scientifically sound and that the latest research does not support eliminating the deferral period.

Others disagree. Gay rights advocates and health organizations call the policy further discrimination masquerading as progress. The American Civil Liberties Union has encouraged the FDA to refine its donation criteria to reflect scientific standards instead of what it calls outmoded prejudices.

It’s hard for the FDA to justify its decision, considering that all blood donations are screened for the HIV virus, regardless of their source. The AIDS crisis of the 1980s is over; while gay men still have a greater risk of contracting HIV than other donors, that risk isn’t great enough to merit the deferral.

Ensuring the safety of the blood supply must be the FDA’s first priority, so it is understandable that the agency decided to reform its policy incrementally. Critics are right to urge the FDA to develop a fair and progressive donation policy, but the agency must first make certain that it can do so without risking the safety of the blood supply. That means, among other changes, training blood banks to conduct careful checks of would-be donors.

The FDA’s announcement likely won’t be the last word. The agency will continue to review and revise its policy. If public pressure remains steady, it may yet devise a rule that is based more on reason than on an irrational fear of gay men.

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