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F.D.A. Lifting Ban on Gay Blood Donors
New York Times ^ | December 23, 2014 | SABRINA TAVERNISE

Posted on 12/23/2014 11:05:08 AM PST by reaganaut1

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it would scrap a decades-old lifetime prohibition on blood donation by gay and bisexual men, a change that experts said was long overdue and could lift the annual blood supply by as much as 4 percent.

The F.D.A. enacted the ban in 1983, early in the AIDS epidemic. At the time, little was known about the human immunodeficiency virus, which causes the disease, and there was no quick test to determine whether somebody had it. But science — and the understanding of H.I.V. in particular — has advanced in the intervening decades, and on Tuesday the F.D.A. acknowledged as much, lifting the lifetime ban but keeping in place a more modest block on donations by men who have had sex with other men in the last 12 months.

In a statement, the agency said it had “carefully examined and considered the scientific evidence” before changing the policy. It said it intended to issue a draft guidance detailing the change in 2015.

The shift puts the United States on par with European countries like Britain, which adjusted its lifetime ban in favor of a 12-month restriction in 2011. Men’s health advocates welcomed the move, saying that the ban was not based on the latest science and that it perpetuated stigma about gay men as a risk to the health of the nation. [...]

“This is a major victory for gay civil rights,” said I. Glenn Cohen, a law professor at Harvard University who specializes in bioethics and health. “We’re leaving behind the old view that every gay man is a potential infection source." He said, however, that the policy was “still not rational enough."

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: aids; aidscrisis; blood; blooddonors; fda; gayblood; homofascism; homosexualagenda; lavendermafia; obamalegacy
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To: FatherofFive
We need to test ALL donated blood for bugs.

Of course, we already do. But no test is absolutely certain. 2003 and 2010 saw at least two cases were HIV was transmitted to blood recipients even WITH testing. Additionally, administrative error is always possible, accidentally allowing infected blood into the supply. The added layer of a deferral through screening is well justified.

This is not a static equation. As gay men now rush to donate by the thousands when they couldn't before, the risk increases exponentially of an error or a faulty reading. And, the ones that are now livid that the ban was not lifted completely will likely donate anyway and lie about their sexual activity in protest.

Basically, the incidents of identifying infected blood are going to skyrocket. And some of these WILL slip through the cracks.

161 posted on 12/23/2014 4:45:39 PM PST by fwdude (The last time the GOP ran an "extremist," Reagan won 44 states.)
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To: reaganaut1
.......“This is a major victory for gay civil rights,”....... At the expense of otherwise HIV free individuals which will now magnify their risk when needing blood.

Sheesh...this country's getting hacked at from every side! You must pay for Insurance and now risk gays givng tainted blood!

162 posted on 12/23/2014 4:56:29 PM PST by caww
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To: FatherofFive

They won’t test it.
They don’t even test it for chagas disease because that would be racist.


163 posted on 12/23/2014 5:04:16 PM PST by doc maverick
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To: TexasRepublic

Obama loves homosexuals because he is one.


164 posted on 12/23/2014 5:24:02 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Good Muslims, like good Nazis or good liberals, are terrible human beings.)
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To: reaganaut1

If they could prove there is no chance of people getting AIDS from blood from gay donors, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

But they can’t do that, can they?


165 posted on 12/23/2014 5:43:10 PM PST by ReganDude (Give me liberty or give me death!!)
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To: antidisestablishment

Mad cow would have killed us both by now if we would have gotten it. But we still cant donate. They are idiots.

3 decades of AB- donations that would have come from me. Cie la vie.


166 posted on 12/23/2014 5:48:59 PM PST by Delta 21 (Patiently waiting for the jack booted kick at my door.)
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To: Chode

I also have pederastomisia


167 posted on 12/23/2014 5:54:52 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves Month")
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
heh heh heh
168 posted on 12/23/2014 6:24:44 PM PST by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -w- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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To: reaganaut1

God help us all. I hope no one in my family is going to need a transfusion.


169 posted on 12/23/2014 6:25:04 PM PST by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (TOUCH MY SODA AND THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY!!)
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To: reaganaut1

Anyone with any sense, especially in this homosexual-obsessed society will keep a supply of their own blood to use in an emergency.


170 posted on 12/23/2014 6:27:07 PM PST by NKP_Vet
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To: reaganaut1

hardly a day goes by where Obama doesn’t do something to help his fellow butt buddies out!


171 posted on 12/23/2014 6:48:08 PM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: reaganaut1

of course every homosexuals man is a threat to safety .

Doing what they do sexually is common sense that they are risking disease because of how they want their sex and can’t control themselves.


172 posted on 12/23/2014 6:51:38 PM PST by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: GeronL

The left cares noting about innocents dying.


173 posted on 12/23/2014 6:52:12 PM PST by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: reaganaut1

I don’t want that blood and its diseases.


174 posted on 12/23/2014 6:54:14 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: reaganaut1

it is the 21st century. Where’s the damn synthetic blood! It is insane to use donated blood from others. Even more insane to play a game of Russian roulette with people’s health.


175 posted on 12/23/2014 6:54:29 PM PST by Flick Lives ("I can't believe it's not Fascism!")
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To: relictele

>> Giving blood is not a civil right.

Neither is sodomy.


176 posted on 12/23/2014 6:55:16 PM PST by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: reaganaut1

“on Tuesday the F.D.A. acknowledged as much, lifting the lifetime ban but keeping in place a more modest block on donations by men who have had sex with other men in the last 12 months.”

Scouts honor?


177 posted on 12/23/2014 7:14:20 PM PST by headstamp 2
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To: NKP_Vet

Pray tell...how do you do that?


178 posted on 12/23/2014 7:15:54 PM PST by goodnesswins (2015)
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To: reaganaut1
If the homos want to give blood, let them do it. Just make sure that it is kept separate and is only used for other homos.
179 posted on 12/23/2014 7:18:50 PM PST by Ditter
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To: antidisestablishment
Good point.

I'm a regular blood donor-in fact, I'm a member of The Gallon Club-so I'm familiar with all of the restrictions, a lot of them simply targeting people who travel abroad pretty frequently, i.e. not directly related to blood-born illnesses or diseases.

180 posted on 12/23/2014 7:36:16 PM PST by OddLane
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