Lifelong gay blood ban found unjustified by European Court of Justice

Gay men in Europe, the United States, and most parts of the world have been banned from donating blood due to supposed HIV risk since 1977. Recently, the European Court of Justice found that continuing this practice in light of HIV screening procedures and more knowledge on HIV than in the past is discriminatory, unnecessary, and should be stopped.

The current argument stands that anyone engaging in risky sexual behaviors should be banned, but the counter argument is homosexuality is not in itself a risky sexual behavior, and that each donor deserves the right to be assessed appropriately for their risk before receiving a ban.

The United States currently has a ban in place, and small, grassroots operations to change the minds of the FDA are in place and growing with each coming year. Read a blog post on how the National Gay Blood Drive began by clicking here.

And sign a White House petition to end the ban by clicking here.