Blood, HIV, and MSM

For more than two decades, the FDA has held to its policy of prohibiting men who have had sex with men (MSM) from donating blood. The Red Cross includes this policy in its eligibility guidelines.

In response to the policy, two educational bodies have stopped hosting blood drives. The most recent of these decisions was made earlier this month when the board of trustees of the San Jose Evergreen Community College district voted unanimously to suspend all blood drives. The Spartan Daily reported:

The decision is effective immediately, said district chancellor Rosa Perez.

The board had previously suspended blood drives district-wide pending Tuesday night’s decision, she said, and its goal was to send a statement to other universities and institutions.

“The board’s decision is upholding nondiscrimination at all costs,” Perez said.

Among criticisms of the FDA’s policy is that a male donor is considered ineligible if he has had sex with another man after 1977. The FDA addresses this concern and others in an FAQ on its web site.