​What Are the New Guidelines for Gay and Bi Men Donating Blood?
The discriminatory blood ban based on sexual orientation is over, but what does that mean?
August 7, 2023
CONTACTAbout UsCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
fda guidelines
FDA Updates Blood Donation Rules Opening Path for More Gay Donors
All prospective donors who report having a new sexual partner or anal sex in the last three months will have to defer donations for three months.
May 11, 2023
Turned Away for Being Trans, Seattle Woman Sues Blood Bank
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration still categorizes transgender women as 'men who have sex with men,' meaning they're considered 'higher risk' in formal recommendations to blood banks.
May 12, 2015
Senators Urge Lifting of Restrictions on Gay and Bi Male Blood Donors
The senators' call comes as other countries lift deferral periods on blood donations by queer men --France and Greece did so this week.
January 13, 2022
FDA Makes It Easier for Gay, Bi Men to Donate Blood
The FDA now recommends that gay and bi men be allowed to donate blood after three months of sexual abstinence, not 12 as previously allowed.
True
April 2, 2020
WATCH: How 7 Feet of Gay Blood Became Political Art
Blood Mirror by Jordan Eagles is a 7-foot-tall sculpture designed as a protest to the FDA's discriminatory blood donation policy.
June 24, 2015
HRC Blasts FDA's Revised Blood Ban
Civil rights groups say the FDA's new guidelines are 'unacceptable' for retaining restrictions on blood donations by sexually active gay and bisexual men. And for transgender donors, there's also a change in the works.
True
May 12, 2015
FDA Will Relax Blood Donor Restrictions on Gay, Bisexual Men
The new guidelines eliminates the gendered-language in the current blood donation questionaire.
January 27, 2023
U.K. Could Jump Further Ahead of U.S. on Gay Blood Ban
Gay and bisexual men are still banned for life from donating blood in the U.S.
November 26, 2015
Gay Man Turned Away From Blood Center, Despite Passing Screenings
COVID-19 survivor Lukus Estok has antibodies in his blood that can save lives, but a blood center in New York City doesn't think it's good enough.
April 24, 2020
Politician Hit With Antigay Robocalls After His Plasma Was Rejected
Florida voters are receiving texts saying Shevrin Jones "was discriminated against for recent homosexual contact."
August 11, 2020
The FDA's Blood Policy Still Frames HIV as a 'Gay Sickness'
All restrictions on donations from gay and bisexual men should be lifted.
May 6, 2020
Gay Senator Rejected at Blood Center Despite FDA Guideline Change
As many blood centers scramble to update guidelines, New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman is urging an end to any abstinence period for gay and bi men.
May 14, 2020
Gay & Bisexual Men Now Eligible to Donate Blood Under New FDA Policies
The agency has moved toward risk-based assessments as opposed to discriminatory bans based on gender or sexual orientation.
May 11, 2023
The FDAs Lesser Known Insult is a Ban on Gay Sperm Donors
The FDA not only bans gay and bi men from giving blood, they actively discourage them from donating sperm. Will the agency ever change its ways?
November 21, 2012
Sculpture Made of Gay Blood Is Going to Church
Blood Mirror, a scuplture protesting the FDA's ban on gay male blood donors, is moving to an unexpected home.
October 14, 2015
FDA Updates Gay Blood Ban With Abstinence Plan
Gay and bi men in the U.S. can now donate blood -- as long as they haven't had sex with another man in the last 365 days.
True
December 22, 2015
Twitter Takes a Stand on FDA's Gay Blood Ban
Twitter takes a stand against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ban on accepting blood from men who have had sex with men.
November 19, 2015
Log Cabin Wrongly Credits Trump With Easing Gay Blood Ban
Trump says he had no role in easing donation restrictions, but Log Cabin stands by its praise for him.
April 6, 2020