(Just The News) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed using what it calls “gender-inclusive, individual risk-based questions” to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from blood donors to recipients by asking about new sexual partners and anal sex in a move that will allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood.
Current FDA guidance requires “men who have sex with men” and women who have sex with men in this group to abstain from relations for three months before donating blood to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.
The new donor history questionnaire proposed Friday would ask about new sexual partners within the past three months. If they answer affirmatively, the prospective donors would be asked about their history of anal sex over the past three months.
“All prospective donors who report having a new sexual partner or more than one sexual partner and had anal sex in the past three months would be deferred from donation,” the FDA stated.
This means gay and bisexual men who have not had a new partner within the past three months will be able to donate blood.
