Fridae

While the American Red Cross is still appealing for blood donations, many homosexual and bisexual men have learnt in the past few days that they are still banned from giving blood.

Following guidelines issued in 1985, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to ban blood donations from self-identified gay men who admits to having had sex with any other man since 1977. The rules were initially aimed at keeping the HIV/AIDS virus out of the blood supply. Women who admit to having had sex over the last 12 months with a man who had gay sex in the last 24 years are also prohibited from donating blood.

The rule came under intense scrutiny last year when an advisory committee to the FDA opened discussion on a repeal recommendation. Although viral screening procedures have grown in sophistication, speed and thoroughness, an FDA advisory committee voted 7-6 against changing the ban.

Although all blood products are tested before release, Dr F. Blaine Hollinger, former advisory committee chairman said that policy changes repealing the gay ban on blood would likely be considered only with the advent of newer and cheaper HIV screening methods -- and only then after rigorous testing, according to an US gay news website.

The report also reported that sympathetic officials say the issue is political, not medical.
One gay New Yorker told the website, "I came to do my part, to give part of myself to this, and to help.

"I'm (HIV) negative, but I was turned away anyway, like what I had in my veins wasn't good enough. I can't tell you what that feels like."

An estimated two to three people a year become infected with HIV through blood transfusions, in sharp contrast to the 1980s, when thousands became ill. Experts are not certain why the virus was not detected in the blood supply and whether if it is due to human error or failures in the tests themselves, said Dr Hollinger.

Officials in New York City and Washington DC say they have enough blood for now, but donations are still needed over the next several weeks to keep the national supply steady.