Gay Men Remain Banned from Donating Blood

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Food and Drug Administration has decided to continue banning gay men from donating blood for life even though most experts agree there is no longer any need for such a ban due to improved testing procedures for donated blood.

In a document posted on their web site Wednesday, the FDA said it would change its policy if data show there is no longer a "significant and preventable" risk to blood recipients, but that they are leaving the ban in place for now.

"I am disappointed, I must confess," said Dr. Celso Bianco, executive vice president of America’s Blood Centers.

All men giving blood are asked if they have ever had sex with another man since 1977. If they answer yes to this question, they are banned from giving blood for life.

Several expert groups, including the international blood association AABB, America's Blood Centers, and the Red Cross, say the ban is no longer necessary due to improved HIV tests and they have urged the FDA to replace the permanent ban with a one-year deferral after gay sex.

Critics of the FDA's policy say the ban excludes potential healthy and sorely needed donors and discriminate against gay people, but the FDA does not believe HIV tests are yet accurate enough because they don't detect the virus 100 percent of the time.