New Blood Donation Rules, Please Give The Gift of Life!

Even before I was a doctor, I was a blood donor. Recently, I would post my pic on social trying to encourage others to donate. I heard back from people of the L.G.B.T.Q. community who weren’t allowed to donate blood and save lives. (WHAT? again my clueless privilege) Every 2 seconds a person in the united states needs a blood transfusion and 1 in seven hospitalized patients receive blood. How can we restrict the blood donor pool so arbitrarily?

On Friday the FDA announced gender-inclusive screening.

• Prospective donors who report having a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner in the past three months, would then be asked about a history of anal sex in the past three months. 

• All prospective donors who report having a new sexual partner or more than one sexual partner and had anal sex in the past three months would be deferred from donation. 

• Under this proposal, a prospective donor who does not report having new or multiple sexual partners, and anal sex in the past three months, may be eligible to donate, provided all other eligibility criteria are met.    

It’s not perfect but better. PLEEEEEEESE donate