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Podcasts Take Two
FDA ends ban on blood donations from gay, bisexual men
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Dec 22, 2015
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FDA ends ban on blood donations from gay, bisexual men
Men may donate blood under the new guidelines, but only if they have not had sex with another man in the preceding 12 months. But LGBT activists still aren't happy.
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Photo by ec-jpr via Flickr Creative Commons
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Men may donate blood under the new guidelines, but only if they have not had sex with another man in the preceding 12 months. But LGBT activists still aren't happy.

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.