Filling out questionnaires at the university blood drive today and Friday, students will check yes or no on the infamous "are you a man who has had sex with a man" question. However, that question, and ones like it, could be missing from future questionnaires.
The American Red Cross has joined an industry-wide movement with the American Association of Blood Banks and America's Blood Centers to change the regulations concerning blood donations from people who have been involved in that "high risk behavior," Red Cross spokesperson Rebecca Fuller said.
"Men who have had sex with men have been deferred from giving blood because of the risk of transferring disease," Fuller said. "The lifetime deferral is unwarranted."
The lifetime deferral has been in place since 1983. However, new blood tests are much more sensitive than the ones used in 1980s and 1990s, and men who have had sex with men, or MSM, should be approached similarly to other groups of deferred donors, Fuller said. Instead of a lifetime deferral, she suggested donors only be deferred for a certain amount of time.
At a Federal Drug Administration conference March 8, various issues of donor eligibility were discussed, and proposal to change the criteria for donating was presented to the FDA, Fuller said. The FDA has addressed the issue several times during the past few years but continued to keep the deferral in place.
"The purpose of the workshop was to have an open discussion of the current state of science, hear the various points of view and identify areas where data are needed," said Paul Richards, public affairs specialist for the FDA. "As the workshop just took place, we will need some time to sort through the information that was presented."
Although tests are improving, they are not perfect, and infections can get pass tests either as mutations or because of mistakes in the system.
"The FDA feels very strongly that the public and Congress have made it clear that they desire a zero error tolerance policy with respect to the blood supply," Dr. Andrew Dayton said at the workshop. "In other words, the health of the recipient of the blood or the blood products must always be our primary concern."
There is no time frame set for decisions concerning the revision of regulations on MSM blood donations, Richards said, but it is being considered.
On a local level, the debate on MSM donations will not affect the Student Government Association sponsored blood drive today and Friday. The drive is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in Pruis Hall.
Ball Memorial Hospital and the Indiana Blood Center are both working the drive and will follow the regulations from the FDA concerning blood donations, including not allowing MSM to give blood.
"I think it can be an issue, but I don't think it's fair just to discount a man who's had sex with a man," Spectrum secretary Tyler Crain said. "It wouldn't even be fair to make us bring test results from the past month or so to let us donate blood, but if that would help I would."
Spectrum is Ball State University's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and straight ally association.
If he was allowed to donate, Crain said he would. The current regulations are unfairly restrictive and keep willing people from donating when blood is in high demand, Crain said.
"Not everyone is going to be able to give blood, especially if you have a rare blood type that is needed," he said. "It's not fair to turn them away."
MSM are only one of the groups of people who may not be allowed to donate blood. The most common reason for deferral is low iron count, followed by donors taking medicines that could affect the quality of the blood, Robert Nunez, BMH donor services supervisor, said.
"Those are considered high risk groups, and those particular lifestyles have a high risk of HIV and hepatitis B," Nunez said. "If you are in the high risk group, we don't want you to donate because you are just putting yourself at risk and the blood supply at risk."
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