On CBS News, Anne-Marie Green, Vladimir Duthiers, and Yuval David speak about the Blood Ban. The FDA and American Association of Blood Banks ban the blood of Gay men, Bi men, Trans Women, and women who have sex with Bi men.

This policy is based on stigma not on science. Here commentator Yuval David speaking about his own experiences.

The Blood Ban – in the US Gay and Bi Men are discriminated when trying to donate blood. This discriminatory policy set by the FDA and the AABB is an outdated and unacceptable policy preventing Gay and Bi men from helping others, and proves that Gay and Bi Men are treated differently than others.

Read my article about this:
https://medium.com/@yuvaldavid/gay-covid-19-survivors-prevented-from-saving-lives-due-to-discriminatory-blood-ban-1e900958323e

This global pandemic is revealing many elements in our society that are in need of repair, including social inequality. In my effort to donate blood, I have discovered another inequality. Gay and Bi men cannot give blood in an effort to help those in need and to find a treatment, unless they follow the celibacy requirement. No other group is discriminated against like this. There is not a similar requirement of women or heterosexual men.

I do not intend to divert focus from the pandemic and the greater concerns for protecting the health and safety of our population. Those concerns of course are paramount. But, just like this pandemic is revealing glaring differences in health treatment based on economic status, and even race, it is revealing glaring differences based on sexual orientation.

The Blood Ban discriminates against Gay, Bi, and all men who engage in sex with other men.

During this global pandemic, I became infected with the coronavirus. While I felt very ill for a week, I am lucky to have completely recovered from COVID-19.

I attribute my strong and complete recovery to my leading a health conscious lifestyle, not having any pre-existing conditions, along with being physically active and fit, having a great and nutritious diet, and being informed and attentive to health and wellness. And, maybe I was also just lucky.

When I tried to donate blood, I was turned away. You might have heard of the Blood Ban. My blood is not accepted because I am a gay man.

This policy is enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In 1983, during the AIDS epidemic, the FDA initiated the ban on the blood of gay and bi men. In the 1990s this group of people was more specifically defined as the MSM population. In 2015, the policy changed, allowing this population of men to donate, but only if we abstained from sex with other men for 12 months.

During this coronavirus epidemic, with the current need for blood donations, the FDA changed the policy again. In order to encourage donations during the coronavirus epidemic, the MSM population can now donate blood, but only if we have abstained from sex for at least three months.

How are we supposed to prove that?

Isn’t every blood donation tested for diseases no matter who donates? Why are we being treated differently?

I thought that centers that accept blood donations might need my blood now. I am a healthy coronavirus survivor. Antibodies in my blood could be used to help seriously-ill coronavirus patients recover from the virus.

I tried. But, I was turned down. I was turned away.

Thousands of blood centers across the United States are still turning away men who have sex with men. Many of the centers haven’t updated their intake process (including health-history questionnaires, system protocol, or trained staff to do any different than what they did in the past).

Another cause of this problem lies with the AABB, also known as the American Association of Blood Banks. It is an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and institutions involved in the fields of transfusion medicine and cellular therapy. The AABB accredits most of the blood centers in the US. It has not updated its donor history questionnaire, which also needs FDA approval. The antiquated AABB questionnaire rejects gay and bisexual male applicants.

In my life and career, as an actor, host, and filmmaker, I continue to advocate for marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community. My efforts are focused on promoting greater and just representation and rights for all. In a situation where we stand to help others, no matter who they are, I am dismayed that we are rejected even in instances such as these. But, I am no less emboldened to continue to strive for what is right. Because I know and believe that we all have the responsibility to help each other and make this world a better place…together.

Yuval David

Actor, Host, Filmmaker, and Advocate
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