FDA Thinks Gay Blood Is Dangerous

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Banned for life: That is what hundreds of potential blood donors are hearing when they try to give blood. Why, you may ask? For the simple reason that they’re gay. On May 23, The Food and Drug Administration upheld a 1983 policy that permanently bans any man who has had homosexual sex since 1977 from giving blood.
The FDA claims it is for the good of society, but in a time when donated blood is essential to save lives, it’s hard to see how. The logic behind this madness is that homosexual activities increase the potential of spreading HIV. However, with the technology that science is able to provide, medical field-testing for HIV has become 10 times easier, making the law which has been in place since 1983 10 times more ridiculous. The Red Cross, the international blood association AABB and America’s Blood Centers have proposed deferring those who had male-to-male sexual contact for one year before being allowed to donate. The FDA would hear none of it. On May 23, the government said that the ban would remain in place.
Back in 1983, the ban might have made sense, but in 2006 banning people based on their sexual orientation seems a little extreme. This is particularly difficult for the Red Cross because it is facing an enormous blood shortage. Young people are not as willing to be stuck with needles to help the larger community at hand as they used to be. These days, people are looking out for No. 1: themselves. It seems ridiculous that in this time of crisis

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