Change the FDA's Blood Donor Policy This petition seeks to have the Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) revise its policy regarding blood donations from men who have had sex with other men (MSM). In 1983, the FDA created the policy that prohibits men whove had sex with other men even once since 1977 from donating blood for life. This policy was put into place because early in the HIV epidemic, blood safety officials at the FDA decided to exclude from blood donation those emerging as the first "risk groups" for this new illness, and MSM were the first group of individuals associated with the disease. Based on advances in HIV testing and knowledge of the disease and its transmission, in March 2006, the three national groups responsible for blood collection the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks and America's Blood Centers proposed replacing the lifetime ban with a one year deferral after male-to-male sexual contact. FDA denied the proposal. While great advances have been made in HIV testing and as standard procedure all donations are screened for HIV, the FDA continues to ban all MSM from donating blood. By signing this petition, I support the change in Food and Drug Administration's Blood Donor Policy to allow otherwise eligible men who have had sex with men to donate blood and save lives.
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