In America, the ban on blood donation for gays was lifted

In the US, the ban on blood donation by homosexual people, which has existed for three decades due to the risk of HIV transmission, has been lifted. However, according to advocates of the rights of sexual minorities, the new rules will continue to be discriminatory.

The US Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed medical institutions to accept blood from gay and bisexual men (the ban did not apply to lesbians before) after 12 months after the last sexual contact of the donor with another man.

“The FDA has reviewed its policies regarding the transmission of HIV through blood and blood products to determine changes needed based on the most recent scientific evidence,” the agency said in a statement.

According to Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biological Research, a 12-month period of abstinence was considered "the best available scientific evidence relevant to the US population" to reduce the risk of HIV transmission through blood product transfusions.

However, LGBT activists, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union, consider the existence of restrictions in the form of abstinence, motivated by the donor’s sexual orientation, as another form of discrimination.

“The revised policy remains discriminatory,” заявило National Gay Blood Drive movement.

The new rule is similar to the already existing procedure for receiving blood in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Japan.

French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said in November that France would completely lift the ban on gay men donating blood from spring 2016 because "it is an act of generosity and the donor's sexual orientation cannot be a condition."

The FDA notes that potential donors diagnosed with hemophilia or other bleeding disorders still cannot donate “in the interest of their own health, as the thick needles used during collection may cause further complications.”

As a result of effective policies, according to the ministry, in recent years, the risk of HIV transmission through blood transfusions has decreased from one case per 2500 to one per 1,47 million.

“Forum” previously talked about living in America of Russian-speaking gays and lesbians, starting from scratch in America. According to Radio Liberty, more and more Russians are asking for political asylum in the United States.