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Gay Men Are Risky Blood Donors: FDA |
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Written by Neil Simmons
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Friday, 25 May 2007 |
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Blood donation is a risky venture both for the donor and the recipient mainly because of fears of contacting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis B. In 1983 the US Food and Drug Administration had banned gay men from donating blood because it was feared they would transmit HIV/AIDS to the recipients. This was the time when AIDS as a disease was just discovered in 1981.
The ban was understandable then simply due to the fact that HIV/AIDS was largely perceived as a disease that affected gay or homosexual men. Over the years HIV/AIDS has proved to be a all encompassing disease, affecting gay men, drug addicts as well as people who have multiple sexual partners. However the FDA today announced the 1983 ban on blood donation by gay men still stands.
The FDA maintains that gay men or men who have sex with other men have an increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections that can be transmitted by transfusion. Although the American Red Cross and other Blood Donation groups have asked the FDA to reconsider this ban, the agency says it will only do so if there is sufficient evidence blood donation was safe during "window period."
The agency explained its decision by citing data from 1997 onward where it was found gay men had 60 times higher HIV prevalence than the general population. According to the American Red Cross, MSM have 800 times higher HIV prevalence than first time blood donors and 8000 times higher than repeat blood donors.
It added that although HIV testing had vastly improved in the last few years, no method was able to detect the virus with 100 percent certainty. The FDA says it is the agency's responsibility to ensure that the 20 million transfusions of blood, red cell concentrates, plasma or platelets which take place in the country annually are safe.
The FDA also said "Men who have had sex with men account for the largest single group of blood donors who are found HIV positive by blood donor testing."
The agency added that another reason for refusing to lift the ban on gay donors was "Collection of blood from persons with an increased risk of HIV infection also presents an added risk if blood were to be accidentally given to a patient in error either before testing is completed or following a positive test."
The FDA said that because of the continued vigilance of several agencies in this matter "the risk of getting HIV from a blood transfusion has been reduced to about one per two million units of blood transfused."
However the agency assured consumers it would consider altering its present policy if and only if it is proved conclusively that the health of blood recipients will not be compromised.
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