Heeding the Food and Drug Administration’s new guidelines that allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood, the Red Cross has updated its policy as well.
Reports the Burlington, Vermont–based WPTZ NBC-5:
“The process eliminates questions that are based on gender and sexual orientation and allows us to welcome more gay and bisexual men as blood donors and keep the blood supply safe,” said Dan Dowling with the American Red Cross of Northern New England.
The updated policy requires all donors, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, to answer the same eligibility questions on individual risk factors.
“Not all gay individuals, not all gay men are risky,” said Richard Elliott, a health and wellness coordinator with the Pride Center of Vermont. “Not all gay men are susceptible to getting HIV.”
“Not all gay individuals, not all gay men are risky,” said Richard Elliott, a health and wellness coordinator with the Pride Center of Vermont. “Not all gay men are susceptible to getting HIV.”
Elliott said the updated guidelines are a step away from stigma.
“It’s really nice to see that they’re moving in this direction because it’s moving away from stigma, it’s moving away from homophobia, and it’s moving away from some personal issues that some individuals in the past might have had with this,” said Elliott.
Read the complete WPTZ NBC-5 story here.
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