Sen. Warren Wants to Know Why Gay Men Can't Donate Blood

[MannyGoldstein]

Last edited Wed Aug 14, 2013, 12:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Sen. Warren Wants to Know Why Gay Men Can't Donate Blood

After receiving a letter from a Roslindale resident who was not allowed to give blood after the Boston Marathon bombings because of his sexual orientation, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has asked for a review of the federal policy.

Warren sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently voicing concern "over the agency's sluggish pace at reevaluating blood donation policies for men who have sex with men (MSM)." The letter requested information about HHS's ongoing efforts to gather data and review this policy.

Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) also led the letter and 81 of their congressional colleagues, including Senator Edward Markey and Representatives Jim McGovern, John Tierney and Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts signed with their support. The full text of the letter is available here.

...

"For me, this has been a basic issue of fairness and of science - blood donation policies should be grounded in science, not ugly and inaccurate stereotypes," said Warren. "When a Massachusetts man told me he wanted to donate blood during the bombings but couldn't because of his sexual orientation, I dug deeper into this discriminatory ban and I didn't like what I found. Current policies are contrary to science. They promote discrimination and don't make the system any safer. It's long past time for HHS to make blood donation policies fairer and more effective."

[SugarShack]

1. It's not forgotten yet, those who had aids and donated anyway in the eighties. Im told this.

[MNBrewer]

2. What are you saying?

[Gman]

3. My mother contracted hepatitis D from a blood transfusion

Before they knew what hepatitis D was. Likely the blood came from someone that had risky behavior (drugs, alcohol addictions, etc.).

I believe they can effectively test blood donations for HIV as well as other bloodborne diseases. There's no reason to turn down a class of people anymore. In the 80's it was all they could do. But they don't have to now.