Why gay men ?

Why gay men were turned away from blood donation centers in Orlando

In 1983, two years after the AIDS virus was first discovered in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration issued guidelines for gay men who wanted to donate blood. If they had had sex with other men at any time since 1977, they would be prohibited from donating blood indefinitely.

That policy lasted for nearly 40 years, and remained unchanged until six months ago. In December 2015, the FDA revised its guidelines to allow blood donations from gay men, as long as they hadn’t had sex with other men for one year.

Following the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, last Sunday (June 12), which left 49 people dead and 53 wounded, potential blood donors lined up at collection centers. Many of those potential donors were gay, and due to conflicting reports in the news and social media, many believed the ban had been lifted.
AIDS, blood donation, FDA, gay rights, mass shooting, Orlando shooting, Red Cross

The Real Style -------- NP 2016