The Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis and it has reignited the discussion of giving among gay and bisexual men.
A rule birthed during the AIDS crisis of the 80s, the FDA completely banned men who have sex with men from giving blood for over three decades.
In 2015, they allowed gay and bi men to give after being abstinent for one year then, in 2020, they updated the policy to just 3 months, largely because of the impact coronavirus had on holding blood drives.
It's an outdated, discriminatory, and illogical policy that perpetuates stigma against gay men, especially since all given blood is screened for "infectious disease pathogens" like STIs and HIV, according to the CDC.