Blood Donation Celebration!

January 19th
9 am- 6 pm CST

West End, OurCEL Solutions
2817 West End Ave #200
Nashville, TN 37203

New FDA guidance eliminates the time-based restrictions for men who have sex with men (MSM). Instead, all potential donors will now be screened equally, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. All donors will be asked if they’ve had new and/or multiple sexual partners in the past 3 months. See below for more details and an explanation as to why people who take PrEP or PEP will still be deferred.

Help us celebrate this historic step forward by donating blood! Save three lives and benefit community organizations like Nashville Launch Pad and Inclusion TN!

For more info on these exciting FDA changes, visit our FDA Changes Page!

FAQ

  • • All blood donors, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will be asked if they’ve had new and/ or multiple sexual partners in the past three months.

    • If they answer no to both questions, there is no risk of a newly acquired transfusion-transmitted infection. They will not be asked about the type of sexual contact and will move on to the next question.

    • If they answer yes to either, there is some risk of a newly acquired transfusion-transmitted infection. Therefore, they will then be asked if they’ve had anal sex with any of these partners. If they have, they will be required to wait three months from when they most recently had anal sex to donate.

    • If they have not had anal sex with a new and/or multiple partners and meet all other eligibility criteria, they will be able to donate.

    • Asking about anal sex in the context of new or multiple recent partners allows blood collectors to more precisely and reliably identify those who may have an increased risk of a newly acquired transfusion-transmissible infection.

    This is a change from the previous FDA regulations, which mandated a three-month deferral for any man who had sex with another man during the past three months. Additionally, women who had engaged in sexual activity with a man who had sex with another man in the past three months were also subject to a three-month deferral from the most recent sexual contact. These modifications aim to promote blood safety while reducing unnecessary restrictions and ensuring that all individuals could contribute to the critical need for blood donations.

  • Medications taken for the prevention or reduction of HIV infection (PrEP or PEP) will lead to a three-month deferral for oral medication and a two-year deferral for injections, as they can potentially delay the detection by licensed screening tests for blood donations, potentially yielding false negative results. There needs to be more research on how PrEP and PEP affect HIV testing. At this time, FDA recommends that individuals who take PrEP or PEP are deferred from donation.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with Blood Assurance, advises donors to adhere to their prescribed medication regimens as recommended by their physicians and not discontinue or delay taking medications to maintain eligibility for blood donation.