Update April 2, 9:15 a.m. PST:
The FDA announced it will reduce the deferral period for men who have sex with men from donating blood and plasma from 12 months to three months.
The revised recommendations were posted on the FDA site this morning. An email from the FDA today also stated:
“Based on our evaluation of the totality of the scientific evidence available, we are revising the 2015 recommendations for reducing the risk of HIV transmission by blood products including: For male donors who would have been deferred for having sex with another man; the agency is changing the recommended deferral period from 12 months to 3 months.”
This change will also apply to female donors who would have been deferred for having sex with a man who had sex with another man.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, blood donations have become increasingly necessary to…
