Red Cross ends restrictions on blood donation by gay men

The Red Cross, the organization that provides about 40% of America's blood and blood components, will apply an individual risk-based assessment to determine whether someone is eligible to donate blood, regardless of sexual orientation.

The Red Cross move is intended to implement new Food and Drug Administration guidelines that apply to all potential donors and are based on an individual risk assessment.

“Under this new donor screening process, all donors answer the same eligibility questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation and will be assessed for blood donation based on individual risk factors, not on sexual orientation. This change eliminates the FDA’s previous policy that deferred men who have sex with men from giving blood”, said the Red Cross in a statement.

Eligibility based on number of sexual partners and type of relationship

The organization detailed that research and data "that this new eligibility screening process ensures a safe blood supply patients can feel confident in".

“The Red Cross celebrates this historic move as significant progress and remains committed to achieving an inclusive blood donation process that treats all potential donors with equality and respect while maintaining the safety of the blood supply. The Red Cross is committed to achieving further progress and will continue to provide data to the FDA in support of making blood donation even more inclusive”, highlighted the Red Cross.

In May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed restrictions that prohibited homosexuals from donating blood. In that regard, it states that anyone who has recently had sex with a new partner or multiple partners and also had anal sex would have to wait three months to donate.

All new donation requirements can be found in this link.