An initiative set forth under the Obama administration to modify a federal mandate that restricts blood donations from members of the gay community—specifically men who have sex with men —received a major endorsement last week as the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) called for the Food and Drug Administration to re-examine the guidelines.
In 1983, during the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a federal ban was invoked that prohibited openly gay men from donating blood out of fear of contaminating the nation’s blood and plasma supply with HIV. The rule, implemented under President Ronald Reagan, has remained in place and virtually unchanged for 30 years. However, Obama has announced plans to have the measure reviewed and perhaps have the ban lifted or modified.
Members of the Chicago-based AOA issued a request to the FDA to re-examine and modify the current blood donor program in regards to donor restrictions due to “significant and major advancements in screening blood for HIV antibodies.”
“While the FDA’s policy banning men who have sex with men from donating blood made sense when testing for HIV was not available, that isn’t the case today,” said Tyler Cymet, a physician and member of the AOA. In a release acknowledging the organization’s support of changing the ban, Cymet added, “With the screening of all blood for infectious diseases, there is almost no risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion.”
The issue of people becoming infected with HIV through tainted blood transfusion became a hot-button topic after basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson and late tennis great Arthur Ashe announced they had acquired HIV through infected blood transfusions.
In a related matter, the New York City AIDS Memorial’s board of directors announced last week that the group had reached its goal of $4 million to finance the design and construction of a new AIDS Memorial in St. Vincent’s Hospital Park in the West Village. The memorial will honor the thousands of New Yorkers who have died from AIDS and celebrate and recognize the caregivers and activists who continue the fight in eradicating the disease.