(Image source from: US terminates ban on blood donation by homosexual men})

The United States has concluded the 30 year ban on blood donation, by gay men, on December 21. According to the revised guidelines, Gay men can donate blood at least 12 months after they last had sex with another man.

Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that, the latest scientific study reveals, indefinite ban is not necessary to prevent deadly HIV virus which cause AIDS.

The decision to reverse the ban policy was based on the latest scientific evidences and advises from other advisory bodies and government agencies.

Dr. Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA's biologic division, said in a statement that, "Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence, at this point in time, relevant to the US population."

Other countries like the UK, Australia and New Zealand also has 12 month gap period in their blood donation policies for homosexual  men.

On the other hand, according to the public prosecutor of gay men, the new law is completely biased. Jared Polis, a Democrat congressman and Co-chairperson of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, a caucus of openly gay members of Congress said that, "It is ridiculous and counter to the public health that a married gay man in a monogamous relationship can't give blood, but a promiscuous straight man who has had hundreds of opposite sex partners in the last year can."

FDA’s authorities said that, the people who are suffering from hemophilia and other  blood clotting disorders are still continuing to be banned from blood donating due to medical precautions. Earlier, they are banned due to higher risk of transmitting the HIV virus through blood. The rates  of spreading the HIV virus through blood transfusion have decreased from 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 1.47 million.

Nandini