The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it would loosen some of the restrictions that have blocked gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
A man donates blood at a temporary blood bank set up in a church's fellowship hall, March 24, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz.
A man donates blood at a temporary blood bank set up in a church's fellowship hall, March 24, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz."It is critically important we have rationally and scientifically based blood donation deferral periods," Adams said on a call with reporters.
Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novelThe FDA said the changes would be implemented immediately and and are expected to remain in place after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.The revised guidance also includes people with recent tattoos and piercings and women who have had sex with a gay or bisexual man; the recommended deferral period is now three months versus 12 months.
Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement:"Based on recently completed studies and epidemiologic data, we've concluded that the current policies regarding the eligibility of certain donors can be modified without compromising the safety of the blood supply."
Marks said tens of thousands of people could now be eligible to donate for the first time and organizations that previously objected to the referral policy may be more willing to host blood drives.
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