The Food and Drug Commission (FDA) proposed to scrap the decades-old lifetime ban on blood donation by homosexual and bisexual men. In a move that reflects society's increasing acceptance for homosexuality, the commission aims to improve the 32-year-old policy that many lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) activists, and even some medical groups, think is no longer justified.

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As it breaks the wall keeping gay and bisexual men from becoming donors, this latest proposal nevertheless sets up a new policy that bars donations from men who have had sex with another man in the last 12 months. These new recommendations and policy shift have been announced by the Obama administration last December and are contained in the FDA's latest draft proposal.

Ever since the 32-year old ban was instituted in 1977, medical organizations like the American Red Cross and the American Medical Association (AMA) have postulated that there is no substantial scientific basis for the ban. In an article posted in Medscape, AMA president Robert Wah, MD, gave his commendations to the FDA for finally changing its course.

"The AMA's policy supports using scientifically-based deferral periods that are consistently and fairly applied to donors based on their risk level," Dr. Wah said in a news release.

Members of the LGBT community also commended the new proposal, which basically puts an end to something they've always called discriminatory. However, many are already criticizing parts of the new policy, particularly the one-year ban provisions. While the ultimate goal of the ban is to prevent the risk of spreading the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), this provision still bans people in a sexually active and monogamous gay relationship from donating blood.

The proposed FDA guidance for blood centers will be published officially in the Federal Register this May 15. Afterward, the agency will accept public comment for 60 days before issuing a final version of the proposal.

TagsFDA, LGBT, AMA, blood donations, blood donors