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Dem Senators: Lift Ban on Gay Blood Donors

John Kerry leads group urging FDA to end 'discriminatory' policy

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 5, 2010 12:08 PM CST
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(Newser) – John Kerry and 17 other Senate Democrats are calling on the FDA to end the 27-year-old ban on blood donations by gay men. The policy barring any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 dates to the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It “was once considered medically justified,” Kerry says, but now is "simply outdated and needs to end, just as last year we ended the travel ban.”

Kerry elaborated on his position in an editorial in Bay Windows this week. “Times have clearly changed,” he writes. What was once caution “is today simply discrimination that needs to end.” The FDA allows a person who has had heterosexual sex with an HIV-positive partner to donate after a 1-year waiting period. “But a man who has had protected sex with a monogamous male partner, even one time 33 years ago, is barred for life from donating blood.”

Blood donation.
Blood donation.   (AP Photo)
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Over the past 27 years, times have clearly changed. We know so much more. There is now a greater understanding of the high-risk behaviors associated with HIV contraction which is incorporated into the donor screening process.
- John Kerry

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 32 comments
johnrowse
Mar 6, 2010 6:49 PM CST
These laws were put in place to protect the public's health and not to further stigmatize homosexuality. Health care professionals take special precautions when handling blood from suspected HIV sources such as homosexuals because there is a significant risk of disease transmission. This is not discrimination -- it is common sense.
brutaltruth
Mar 6, 2010 2:51 PM CST
The CDC reports that of the 35,935 cases of HIV reported in 2007: 46.6% were male to male, 4.6% were male to male w/ IV drugs involved, 10.7% were IV drugs alone, 11.1% were high-risk heterosexual contact.

So 51.2% of cases were classified as gay man related. Perhaps this is why there is a ban? Plus the fact that the testing to identify the virus is not 100%. Is this discrimination or simply good medicine?

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/...
Ucantusethatname
Mar 6, 2010 11:52 AM CST
Discrimination? John Kerry is nuts. How would we know whether a homosexual male had or did not have sex with another homosexual male who is HIV positive within the last 10 days or within the last 10 years?

Just ask him.

Kerry, to facilitate the homosexual agenda, you and your liberal cronies would jeopardize the lives of others. Let us hope that Massachusetts' voters recognize your ignorance and send you into permanent retirement the first chance they get. The Senate does not need stupid liberals.
Politics • Health • US

 
FDA • AIDS • John Kerry • HIV/AIDS • senator • Democratic Senators • blood donor • gay men • John Kerry gay blood donation ban

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