Blood Bank of Delmarva announces drop of donation ban from LBTQ donors

DELMARVA – The Blood Bank of Delmarva announced a blood emergency following a summer of low donor turnout, but recent FDA changes in donor eligibility may help the organization find a new source of blood they were previously barred from accepting.

On Monday, October 2nd, the blood bank will implement the new donor screen process that will focus on individual donor assessment.  This comes following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final guidance establishing a blood donor screening process based on Individual Donor Assessment, not sexual or gender identity.

“Members of the LGBTQ community have not been able to donate blood, specifically men who have sex who have sex with other men, and the FDA has moved away from that and they are doing what is called individual donor assessment,” said BBD spokesman Tony Prado.

Prado says donors will need to fill out a questionnaire on sexual activity and a list of partners, that will determine the risk of an individual person’s actions, rather than categorize risk based on protected class characteristics, with any blood still being tested before being sent to any treatment centers.

He says with the blood levels drawing low nationally, he hopes the decision, which puts the US in line with the UK and Canada who reversed similar bans, can help them to boost the supply of blood locally and nationally.