--- title: FDA Revises Ban Blood Donations from Gay, Bisexual Men description: Now men who have sex with men are subjected to a one year waiting period for donations canonical: https://time.com/4157214/gay-men-blood-donation/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-21T17:30:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:40:30.500Z article:section: Health og:title: FDA Revises Ban Blood Donations from Gay, Bisexual Men og:description: Now men who have sex with men are subjected to a one year waiting period for donations og:url: https://time.com/4157214/gay-men-blood-donation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt879c298274b235d8/698876590b72e383c16e75de/blood-donor.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5616 og:image:height: 3159 og:image:alt: 155146213 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: FDA Revises Ban Blood Donations from Gay, Bisexual Men twitter:description: Now men who have sex with men are subjected to a one year waiting period for donations twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt879c298274b235d8/698876590b72e383c16e75de/blood-donor.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Gay Men Can Now Give Blood—After a Wait > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=79bfb861-8a60-4307-bcbe-d29a1d35aeac&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: FDA Lifts Ban On Gay Men Donating Blood [Watch (HLS stream): FDA Lifts Ban On Gay Men Donating Blood](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Zpa7vaYM.m3u8) (0:53)  _Published 2015-12-21. The Food and Drug Administration officially overturned its lifetime ban and now will allow gay men to donate if they've been celibate for a year._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 21, 2015 5:30 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Dec 21, 2015 5:30 PM UTC The Food and Drug Administration has lifted a decades-long policy banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood in order to prevent HIV transmission through blood. But men who have sex with men (MSM) will still be subject to a one-year waiting period from the date of their last sexual encounter. “Based on the evidence now available, [FDA](http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/QuestionsaboutBlood/ucm108186.htm) has changed its recommendation from the indefinite deferral for MSM to a 12 month blood donor deferral since last MSM contact,” the FDA says. The government has revised its policies on several occasions over the last decade and this is just the latest step. According to the FDA, the policy was reconsidered in 2010. The government affairs director of the Human Rights Coalition called the change a “step in the right direction.” “This new policy prevents men from donating life-saving blood based solely on their sexual orientation rather than actual risk to the blood supply,”said David Stacy, HRC’s Government Affairs Director. “While it’s a step in the right direction toward an ideal policy that reflects the best scientific research, it still falls far short of a fully acceptable solution because it continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men.” Under the new recommendations, people who have ever tested positive for HIV, exchanged sex for money or drugs, and other factors are barred from donating blood. Additionally, people who have gotten a tattoo or piercing within the past year are subjected to a one-year waiting period. HIV is transmitted through exchanges of bodily fluid including semen, vaginal discharge, and blood. ## Transcript The food and drug administration has officially lifted its ban of donating blood for men who have slept with men. Now a year of abstinence is required before they can donate. The FDA reports only about 4 % of American men say they've had sex with another man within the last five years. Although it's a big change, some activists argue it sends the wrong message. But the new rule's still targeting sexual orientation instead of risky behavior. That's right. 365 days of celibacy. Introducing the celibacy challenge. The blood- donation ban for gay and bisexual men stems from the AIDS epidemic in the early 80s. The FDA implemented the ban, claiming men who have sex with men are at a greater risk of contracting or transmitting certain diseases. HIV science at the time wasn't sophisticated enough to detect HIV in blood or plasma. The FDA has site success in countries like Japan, the UK, Brazil and Australia, which also have one year celibacy policies as a reason for the policy change. 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