Blood Donation: Argentina Lifts Ban On Gay Men, Could Impact Other Countries With Restrictive Laws

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Medical Daily

Blood Donation: Argentina Lifts Ban On Gay Men, Could Impact Other Countries With Restrictive Laws
Sep 19, 2015 04:51 PM By Ali Venosa

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has seen some major moves toward equality lately, starting with the Supreme Court ruling that lifted bans against same-sex marriage. Now, Argentina has become a frontrunner in LGBT health care, lifting a 15-year-old ban that prevents gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

Time reported that this lift could have a great impact on countries like the U.S., who still restrict donations from men in same-sex relationships. At a signing ceremony, Argentina's health minister Daniel Gollán said that the change “is scientifically and technically accurate,” as well as based on a medical approach that overtakes an old concept of “risk groups.” He added that under this new policy, Argentina will be moving towards a national blood system that is both safe and inclusive.

Argentina joins a minority of countries, including Spain and Italy, that considers each blood donor on an individual basis, rather than on the basis of their sexual orientation. Bans on gay and bisexual men donating blood are still commonplace in any countries, however, including the U.S.

In 1983, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a lifelong ban on men donating blood and tissue if they had had sex with another man. The ban was inspired by the AIDS epidemic, and it was to be upheld even if the potential donor didn't test positive for HIV. Some countries are taking steps to address this issue. In 2013, 86 members of congress wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to say that the agency was upholding an outdated policy.

Read more: http://www.medicaldaily.com/blood-donation-argentina-lifts-ban-gay-men-could-impact-other-countries-restrictive-353368

[RKP5637]

1. Bans based on sexual orientation are totally ridiculous today. It's the individual, not the

sexual orientation. Bans today are so damn DUH!

[Yo_Mama]

3. Actually none are based on sexual orientation, but on behavior.

The ban is on MSM (men who have sex with other men), rather than persons with a same sex orientation.

There are plenty of other behaviors that are banned for the same reason - a higher probability of carrying diseases that may not be detected by testing.

Note that US policy is based on US incidence stats, and these stats don't hold for all populations around the world, so countries should have different policies.

Given US incidence stats, our ban is not ridiculous, although the period of ban probably is.
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/QuestionsaboutBlood/ucm108186.htm

Rather than talking about discrimination, we need to be addressing the current infection statistics among MSM, because they are NOT going in the right direction. That is what we must address, and then this deferral can be lifted. We are seeing an appalling rise in infections among the young:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/index.html

With any luck, the new therapies and the approach of trying to suppress viral count very low among the newly infected will improve these stats over time.

[RKP5637]

4. Good points!

[underpants]

2. I'm on the no donor list with the Red Cross due to military service

US Army 90-93. Served in Germany. No test forMad Cow disease