Following two days of testimony, the Department of Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability voted 9-6 against lifting the FDA ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men.
The current policy bans any man who has had sex with a man since 1977 from donating blood. Technological advances have rendered that ban scientifically unwarranted.
Ignoring scientists, the panel says "more research is needed."
To whom do we write in protest?
Posted by: Sike | 11 June 2010 at 19:59
Yup. More research is needed...to discover why bigots were permitted to ignore years of peer-reviewed scientific data, confirming that modern medical technology has rendered the blood supply safe.
Posted by: Nathan James | 11 June 2010 at 23:24
Scientists claim that gay men are not aliens, and their blood is actually red, just like human beings.
The panel says “more research is needed.”
Posted by: Jim | 11 June 2010 at 23:25
sigh, just another set of bigots. that's ok. soon enough people will rise up and public opinion will change... I just hope it's sooner, rather than later.
Posted by: AJ Terrel | 12 June 2010 at 00:19
i'll never forget my first (and only) attempt to donate blood. It was at a blood drive at my job. I had filled out all the priliminary paperwork and was sitting with one of the medical staff. She was running through a short list of questions. When he asked if I was homosexual, I said "Yes!" with all the vigour and pride of a 30 year old who had just come out of the closet. I was actually very surprised and shocked when he told me that I could not donate. I said, "this is crazy, I'm not even having sex (argh!) and haven't for quite a while (argh!) - my blood is safer than allot of heterosexuals. The guy advised me to just "lie" about my sexual orientation next time. I never tried to give blood again and I never forgot this.
Posted by: Tim Lee | 12 June 2010 at 06:34