Banned for life: Gay men still can’t donate blood
FDA wants to prevent HIV spread; Red Cross, others say it’s ‘unwarranted’
WASHINGTON – Gay men remain banned for life from donating blood, the government said Wednesday, leaving in place — for now — a 1983 prohibition meant to prevent the spread of HIV through transfusions.
The Food and Drug Administration reiterated its long-standing policy on its Web site Wednesday, more than a year after the Red Cross and two other blood groups criticized the policy as “medically and scientifically unwarranted.