FDA moves to ease restrictions on blood donations for men who have sex with men

by Will Stone January 27, 2023

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An expected change in FDA policy would make it easier for men who have sex with men to donate blood. Toby Talbot/AP hide caption

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Toby Talbot/AP

An expected change in FDA policy would make it easier for men who have sex with men to donate blood.

Toby Talbot/AP

Updated 12:55 p.m. ET

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued proposed guidance Friday to ease restrictions on blood donations by men who have sex with men.

The change is expected to take effect after a public comment period.

The restrictions on donating blood date back to the early days of the AIDS epidemic and were designed to protect the blood supply from HIV. Originally, gay and bisexual men were completely prohibited from donating blood. Over time, the FDA relaxed the lifetime ban, but still kept in place some limits.

Under the current policy — last updated in 2020 — men who have sex with men can donate blood if they haven’t had sexual contact with other men for three months.