For decades now the FDA has recommended a ban on blood donated by men who have ever had sex with other men. As reported, they are changing that recommendation to a ban on men who have had sex with other men within the last year.
From The New Civil Rights Movement:
The Associate Press is reporting the FDA will recommend ending a discriminatory and decades-old ban on donations of blood from men who have sex with men. The ban, currently in place, prohibits and man who has ever had sex with another man from donating blood.
"Over the past several years, in collaboration with other government agencies, the FDA has carefully examined and considered the available scientific evidence relevant to its blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men, including the results of several recently completed scientific studies and recent epidemiologic data," the FDA said in a press release.
"Following this review, and taking into account the recommendations of advisory committees to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FDA, the agency will take the necessary steps to recommend a change to the blood donor deferral period for men who have sex with men from indefinite deferral to one year since the last sexual contact."
That's just cruel, Josh. How dare you single me out in that way! Oh, wait ...