Quigley Statement on HHS Committee Recommending Change to Blood Donor Deferral Policy for MSM

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Blood Safety Advisory Committee’s recommendation to change the blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) from lifetime deferral to one year deferral:
 
“Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Blood Safety Advisory Committee officially recommended changing the blood donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) from lifetime ban to one year deferral. As the leader of the bipartisan, bicameral effort to reverse the FDA’s discriminatory policy, I welcome open dialogue about the policy, but am disappointed in the recommendation. A time-based deferral focusing solely on men who have sex with men is still discriminatory and fails to exclude donors based on actual risk factors. I encourage the HHS Blood Safety Advisory Committee to revisit their recommendation and hope this is only the beginning of a conversation to change outdated and discriminatory policies, bringing equality for the LGBT community while still protecting the U.S. blood supply.”
 
The current lifetime ban on MSM donating blood was put in place during the rise of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, but is no longer scientifically justified with current blood screening technology. In 2010, the HHS Advisory Committee on Blood & Tissue Safety & Availability (ACBTSA) found the ban to be suboptimal and asked for re-evaluation of this policy. In response to a letter from legislators in 2013, HHS indicated that the Department will finish deliberations on a policy change to the blood ban by the end of 2014.

In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed a resolution opposing the current lifetime ban as discriminatory and not based on sound science. Instead, the AMA supports new donation deferral policies that are based on an individual’s level of risk. The blood banking community, including the American Red Cross and America’s Blood Centers, has also long-supported a change in policy.

Most recently, Rep. Quigley led a bipartisan, bicameral push, urging HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell to reevaluate the current discriminatory, inconsistent blood, organ and tissue donation policies for MSM. Previously, he worked with then-Senator John Kerry to urge HHS to examine alternative blood donor deferral criteria and has long believed the policy should match modern science and reflect risky behavior rather than sexual orientation. He is a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus and a tireless advocate for the LGBT community.
 

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