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WEKU
WEKU
Health
Jonathan Franklin

More gay and bisexual men will now be able to donate blood under finalized FDA rules

The U.S. is moving to ease restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and other groups that traditionally face higher risks of HIV. Here, tubes direct blood from a donor into a bag in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Thursday it had officially eliminated restrictions that had previously prohibited many blood donations by gay and bisexual men — a longstanding policy that critics say is discriminatory.

In a news release, the federal agency said it will recommend a series of "individual risk-based questions" that will be the same for every blood donor, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or sex. Those who have had anal sex with a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner, within the last three months would be asked to wait to donate blood.

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