Blood shortage prompts reassessment of LGBTQ donation ban.
The American Red Cross has seen a 10 percent drop in blood donations since the start of the pandemic, leading to a shortage of blood for use in medical applications.
This week, the White House announced support for the Food and Drug Administration funding a study to reassess the policy that was implemented in the 1980s that deferred blood donation by homosexual and bisexual men. The policy was instituted with the intent to reduce the transmission of HIV and AIDS.
The Assessing Donor Variability And New Concepts in Eligibility (ADVANCE) study will evaluate the reliability of the donor questionnaire against the risk of the transfer of HIV.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For research officials being funded by the FDA as they test the reliability of the questionnaire.
- For the president and White House advisors as they seek to facilitate blood donations.
- For wisdom for federal health officials and safety for the general public as policies are reviewed.
Sources: The Hill, Yahoo News
