It’s a new day for blood donation eligibility. After extensive changes, including updating computer systems and donor history questionnaires, Blood Assurance can now officially welcome many gay and bisexual individuals who want to give the gift of life.

Starting Monday, Dec. 18, blood donor screening criteria will be based on individual risk behaviors, and not sexual or gender identity. The reform comes after a years-long effort by blood centers and key stakeholders in the LGBTQ+ community, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

All potential donors will now be asked if they’ve had new or multiple sexual partners over the last three months. If they respond affirmatively, they’ll be asked if they’ve engaged in anal intercourse with any of their partners. If the answer is yes, they will be deferred for three months. Individuals in long-term relationships (more than three months) with one partner will no longer be deferred.

“As we’ve seen in other countries that have implemented similar reform, we anticipate an increase in our donor base,” said Dr. Liz Culler, chief medical officer for Blood Assurance. “Let me assure everyone that the blood supply has never been safer. Blood Assurance supports the use of rational, science-based deferral periods that are applied fairly and consistently among blood donors who engage in behaviors that pose similar risks,” said Culler.

In 1983, the FDA instituted a lifetime deferral on blood donations for gay and bisexual men in order to reduce the risk of HIV in the blood supply. In 2015, the FDA revised the policy to a one-year deferral since last sex between men. In 2020, the deferral was revised again to a three-month deferral since last sex between men. The current changes were adopted earlier this year.

“So many health equity issues involving the LGBTQ+ community have been rooted in stigma,” according to Del Ray Zimmerman, the director of the Vanderbilt Program for LGBTQ Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “It’s exciting to see the federal government amend outdated blood donation guidelines with a more universal approach. Doing so opens new opportunities for us to give back to our communities, and that’s something in which we can all take pride.”

Those interested in donating can visit www.bloodassurance.org/schedule, call 800-962-0628, or text BAGIVE to 999777, to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins will be accepted.

Tullahoma residents can schedule an appointment at the Blood Assurance at 604 N. Jackson St. near Walgreens by calling 931- 461-5773. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon every third Saturday and Sunday.

To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids — avoiding caffeine — and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. Potential donors should note that those who take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will still be deferred due to the medication’s interference with routine donation tests that ensure the safety of the blood supply.

Blood Assurance and several Nashville area Pride organizations are hosting a celebratory blood drive on Jan. 19, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at the blood center’s location at 2817 West End Ave., Suite 200. Additional details will come in a forthcoming news release.

More information on the changes can be found at www.bloodassurance.org/fda-changes 

About Blood Assurance

Blood Assurance is a nonprofit, full-service regional blood center serving more than 70 health care facilities in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina. Founded in 1972 as a joint effort of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, the Chattanooga Area Hospital Council and the Chattanooga Jaycees, the mission of Blood Assurance is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood components to every area patient in need.