Senators call for lift on blood donation ban

2010-03-08 16:24:43 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Mesothelioma Asbestos, News)

A group of senators are seeking to have a blood donation ban lifted by the FDA.

Senators are calling for a ban on blood donations from gay men to be lifted.

Washington (WiredPRNews.com) – Senators are calling for a ban on blood donations from gay men to be lifted. As reported by AFP, a group led by Senator John Kerry are seeking to have the restriction, which was put in place in 1983, removed by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The senators are quoted in the report as writing in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg “We write today to express our concerns regarding outdated, medically and scientifically unsound deferral criteria for prospective blood donors… With hospitals and emergency rooms across the country in constant and urgent need of blood products, we believe certain blood donor deferral policies should be reviewed and appropriately modified and modernized while ensuring the blood supply meets the highest possible standards.”

As noted in the report, several organizations such as the American Red Cross are in support of lifting the prohibition.

WiredPRNews.com – The latest in Medical News

Photo Found: Wikipedia public domain