Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
The Food and Drug Administration announced this week an end to a 30-year-old ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men.
The rule first emerged during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country.
Under the new guidelines, men may donate blood but only if they have not had sex with another man in the prior 12 months.
But this change has not pleased LGBT activists, who say the policy remains discriminatory.
Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, professor of medicine at UCLA and faculty member at the UCLA AIDS Institute, tells Take Two about the initial rationale behind the policy and what the change means for medicine.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.