The Food and Drug Administration still has harsh restrictions on blood donations from men who have sex with men. picture alliance via Getty ImagesThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration is facing ramped-up pressure to scrap its harsh limits on blood donations from gay and bisexual men amid a dire shortage at blood banks. AdvertisementThose groups are urgently encouraging everyone who can to donate blood, but the FDA has long made it unrealistic for men who have sex with other men to do so. Maintaining that ban today is wrong and impractical, advocates say, especially since all blood donations, regardless of a donor’s sexual orientation, are screened to ensure healthy samples. Lambda Legal, the civil rights group focused on LGBTQ+ rights, told HuffPost it stands with the lawmakers’ request.

Source: Huffington Post January 15, 2022 05:25 UTC