January 13, 2022 4:56PM # Senators Are Right to Seek End to Three-Month Celibacy Requirement For Gay and Bisexual Blood Donors By [Jeffrey A. Singer](https://www.cato.org/people/jeffrey-singer) --- SHARE Twenty-two Democratic U.S. senators [sent](https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Blood_Shortage_MSM_Donor_Deferral_Letter_FDA_HHS_Jan_2022_Final.pdf) a letter today to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock urging the FDA to [end its policy](https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/national-blood-crisis-reignites-calls-fda-end-gay-donor-restrictions-rcna11918) of deferring blood donations from men who have sex with men until 3 months after the last sexual encounter. The senators argued it is not compatible with the scientific evidence and needlessly prevents people from donating blood, especially at a time such as now, when there is a [national blood shortage](https://www.npr.org/2022/01/11/1072154905/red-cross-blood-crisis-pandemic). In 2020 alone, the Red Cross had to cancel almost [2700 blood drives](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/490643-maloney-ocasio-cortez-call-on-fda-to-revise-ban-on-gay-men-from-donating-blood?) due to the pandemic. Separately, four Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee, including its Chair, Carolyn B.Maloney, sent a [letter](https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2022-01-13.CBM%20JR%20et%20al.%20to%20Woodcock-FDA%20re%20Blood%20Donation%20Restrictions%20for%20Gay%20and%20Bisexual%20Men.pdf) to FDA Commissioner Woodcock making the same request. The [Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2020/statement-on-updated-fda-donor-eligibility-criteria.html) also seeks an end to the deferral. The [American Medical Association](https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/growing-numbers-call-change-blood-donation-policy-msm) has sought to end the deferral since 2014. Since 1985, FDA [prohibited](https://www.bgov.com/core/news_articles/R5NWYQDWX2PT) blood donations from gay men based upon long-outdated fears that donated blood might potentially transmit the HIV virus. The ban was replaced by a 1‑year deferral in 2015, and that deferral was [reduced to 3 months in April 2020](https://www.ajmc.com/view/fdas-revised-blood-donation-guidance-for-gay-men-still-courts-controversy) due to the burgeoning blood shortage. Despite a 1998 study showing the prevalence of HIV in men who had sex with men being 0.25 percent, the ban remained in effect for another 17 years. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that all donated blood is now [tested](https://www.cdc.gov/bloodsafety/basics.html) for HIV and other blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis C virus. The senators and representatives are correct. There is no scientific reason to justify, for any length of time, deferring gay men from donating blood. The deferral is rooted in antiquated fears and politics. Secretary Becerra and Commissioner Woodcock should end it entirely. ##### Related Tags [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).