Red Cross implements updated FDA blood donation guidelines on sexual orientation

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The American Red Cross announced it’s implemented an updated FDA blood donation guideline which gets rid of questions based on sexual orientation. 

“This is a historic change that’s going to result in more blood donations being more inclusive than ever before,” said Stephanie Babyak, a Media Spokesperson for the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross said long time work and study shows this new eligibility screening process ensures a safe blood supply, and all patients can continue to trust that the blood they receive is safe.

“The new guidelines treat all donors with fairness respect and equality while ensuring the continued safety of the blood supply. What that means is the individual personal health risk factors are looked at,” said Babyak. “And this change means that all blood donors would have the same questions and all blood collection organizations would use the same donor history questionnaire,” she added.

Babyak said with the new guidelines shift the focus on the questionnaires from sexual orientation to recent health risks of the person donating blood.

She said the move is timely because the red cross during the first two months of summer had a shortfall of about 25,000 blood donations and having blood on the shelves makes a difference during times of disaster

“Especially now, we’re dealing with these climate-driven disasters, hurricanes, we had disasters locally very recently,” said Babyak. “The Red Cross provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply,” she added.

Babyak who is with the American Red Cross National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region says locally their region serves about 350 hospitals

So they are encouraging people to give blood. They need O positive, O negative, A negative, and B negative blood and platelets.

The Red Cross said it’s offering a free $10 movie e-gift card for people who donate blood.

People can sign up to donate by going to redcrossblood.org, calling 1 -800 Red Cross, or using the Red Cross App.