Inclusivity

THE MSM POLICY: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

For many years, the FDA had tight restrictions on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM). These policies were put in place during the 1980s, at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At this time, the virus was not well understood, so the FDA implemented a lifetime ban on blood donations from MSM to minimize the risk of HIV transmission through transfusions.

This ban was based on the statistically higher rates of HIV among MSM populations compared to other groups, but it was heavily criticized for unfairly stigmatizing and excluding a significant portion of the population. As the years went on, the FDA gradually began loosening restrictions on blood donations. In 2015, the lifetime ban was replaced with a 12-month deferral period for MSM, which was further reduced to 3 months in 2020. However, LGBTQ+ rights advocates argued that even the shortened deferral periods were discriminatory and outdated.

INDIVIDUAL DONOR ASSESSMENT (IDA) POLICY

As of May 2023, the previous MSM (men who have sex with men) policy has been replaced with the Individual Donor Assessment (IDA) approach, which is a more inclusive and equitable blood donation policy. All blood donors are required to fill out a donor history questionnaire before each donation in order to confirm that they meet FDA eligibility criteria.

The following excerpt from the Red Cross website details the new policy: “Under the FDA’s individual donor assessment eligibility criteria, the donor history questionnaire is gender-neutral and all donors will answer the same questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This includes sexual behavior questions to assess individual risk factors. Any individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, who has had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, and also had anal sex in that timeframe, will be asked to wait three months to donate blood from last anal sex contact.”

IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW IDA POLICY

The adoption of the individual donor assessment policy is a great step toward reducing stigma and promoting equality in the blood donation process. By focusing on behaviors rather than identity, the policy acknowledges that individuals within any demographic can engage in low-risk or high-risk activities.

Moreover, the new guidelines are expected to increase the donor pool, addressing the chronic shortages in the nation's blood supply. Many MSM who were previously barred from donating will now be eligible to contribute, provided they meet the criteria of low-risk behaviors.

At Blood Drives United, we are thrilled that donor eligibility is now based on behaviors rather than identity, and we enthusiastically welcome all eligible donors to donate at any of our drives! Our purpose has always been to provide the staff, faculty, and students of the University of Michigan, as well as the surrounding community, the opportunity to donate blood and save lives, and we look forward to pursuing this goal in a more inclusive and equitable way.