Donating blood can be one of the kindest, simplest ways to save someone else's life (and sometimes afterward, you get a free cookie, too). For decades, however, certain individuals have been excluded from donating their blood, a practice criticized as discriminatory by the nation's leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Specifically, men who have sex with men (MSM) have been excluded from donating blood, as stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS remains.
On May 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its recommendations for assessing blood donor eligibility, which employs a series of risk-based questions aimed at reducing the risk of HIV infections that can occur from blood transfusions. The updated questions are now the same for all donors, regardless of sexual orientation, sex or gender.
