Memorial Blood Centers will start welcoming LGBTQIA+ donors starting Monday. Blood donation centers must follow regulations published by the FDA.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration announced that they had updated their guidelines for blood donations. Previously, donations were based on sexual identity.

Gay and bisexual men were not allowed to donate due to the risk of HIV/AIDS. In a press release from MBC, it states “in 1983, the FDA instituted a lifetime deferral on blood donations for gay and bisexual men in order to reduce the chance of HIV in the blood supply. In 2015, the FDA revised the policy and moved to a 12-month deferral for men who have sex with men in response to comprehensive testing capabilities. It was once again revised in 2020 to the current 3-month deferral.”

To view the full article, follow this link to WDIO.