The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its stipulations on gay and bisexual blood donors in an attempt to address the “urgent and immediate” need for blood donations around the country.
In March, blood banks around the US announced they could soon face blood shortages due to nation-wide drive cancellations in response to state-mandated social distancing requirements. The revised recommendations follow suit with updated guidance policies from several other countries, including Canada and Great Britain, that shorten the time a gay or bisexual man must wait before donating blood.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges to the US blood supply. Donor centers have experienced a dramatic reduction in donations due to the implementation of social distancing and the cancellation of blood drives,” writes the agency in a statement.
