FDA likely to end blanket ban on sexually active gay men donating blood

Research backed by the Food and Drug Administration «will likely support» ending a blanket ban on blood donations from sexually active gay men, the agency said Wednesday.

The move would mark a significant reversal of a measure aimed at curbing the spread of HIV that experts and activists have long criticised as overly broad and misguided.

Current federal rules prohibit blood banks from collecting donations from men who have had sex with men within the last three months. An alternative approach researched in the FDA-funded ADVANCE study tested out relying on questionnaires to screen donors, instead of broad «time-based deferrals», cbsnews.com reports.