NBJC Commends FDA for Finally Proposing New Gender-Inclusive Guidelines on Blood Donation
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
Group Says Discriminatory Blood Donation Policy Has Long Been a Stain on Our Country; About Time it Was Changed
WASHINGTON – Today, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposal to update the guidelines surrounding blood donation, eliminating rules that target same-gender loving, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; and transgender women. Instead, the guidelines focus on sexual behaviors by people, regardless of gender, that pose a higher risk of contracting and transmitting HIV. The FDA is expected to adopt the proposal after a period of public comment.
Following the news, Dr. David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading Black LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, issued the following statement:
“It’s about time the FDA updated its discriminatory guidelines on blood donation, which have long been a stain on our country. This new proposal is a positive step toward what LGBTQ+ advocates, alongside medical experts, have long argued for: the elimination of rules that target same-gender loving, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; and transgender women, replacing those outdated and homophobic guidelines with a science-based, individualized risk assessment of those who want to donate blood.
“We are pleased to see our community’s fight for these changes has led to progress. It is essential for members of the Black community to donate blood to help those who need repeated blood transfusions, like those with sickle cell anemia, a disease that primarily affects Black people.
“But much more can still be done to ensure LGBTQ+ people are not unfairly denied from donating blood. Certain criteria in the FDA’s updated proposal still falls short, disallowing those on PrEP from donating, and placing a disproportionate focus on the number of partners a potential donor has instead of just on new partners. We will continue to push to change guidelines and related stigmas that bar blood donation within our community during the mandated public comment period and urge others to do the same. We will continue to highlight the harm unnecessary barriers provide until they are removed.”