NYC Council Weighs in on MSM Blood Donation Ban

Yet another group is speaking out against the blood ban. New York City Council has passed a resolution asking the FDA to repeal it's ban on gay men donating blood. For those who don't know in 1983 the FDA placed a ban against MSM (Men Seeking Men). Keeping any man who had ever had sex with another man from donating blood. At the time the intention was to keep HIV/AIDs out of blood banks. Unfortunately, while the technology and procedures for testing blood have grown tremendously we are still stuck with this archaic law. What do you think?


Full article after the break...

 Withers: New York City Council weighs in on the blood ban

By James Withers, contributing editor, 365Gay Blog05.04.2010 12:04pm EDT

Last week the New York City Council passed a resolution calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to repeal its prohibition on blood donations from gay men.

“This policy is wrong and it should be rescinded immediately.  Numerous public health groups, including the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, America’s Blood Centers, and the American Medical Association, as well as leading HIV/AIDS organizations have urged that the FDA’s lifetime restriction be revised,” said City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn

In 1983 the FDA put in place a “MSM exclusion,” a ban against blood donations from any man who had sexual contact with another since 1977. There were multiple sound reasons then. Our knowledge of AIDS/HIV in those early years of the epidemic was murky at best, but as Quinn noted technology isn’t what it used to be.

“We have the technology to make sure that every pint of blood collected is screened for a variety of markers of transmissible diseases including HIV.  It’s time for the FDA to acknowledge this and to change its policy.”