- Incoming French government under pressure on multiple fronts
- Hezbollah rockets strike near Israel's Haifa as UN warns of 'catastrophe'
- Haddad Maia roars back to beat Kasatkina in Korea Open final
- All-rounder Ashwin powers India to 280-run Test win over Bangladesh
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- Lebanon strikes send Israelis to shelters as UN warns of 'catastrophe'
- Far-right AfD eyes new win in east German state vote
- Tony Popovic set to become new Socceroos coach - reports
- All-round Ashwin powers India to big Test win over Bangladesh
- NZ chase 275 to win first Sri Lanka Test after Patel bags six
- Ashwin bags six wickets as India hammer Bangladesh in first Test
- Nascent French government under pressure on multiple fronts
- Angry French cognac makers see red over Chinese tariffs threat
- Protect the prosciutto: Italy battles swine fever
- UN holds 'Summit of the Future' to tackle global crises
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- Argentina edge South Africa to keep title hopes alive
- Biden says China 'testing us,' in hot mic remarks to Quad allies
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- Biden says 'Quad' is 'here to stay' despite challenges
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- Vinicius, Mbappe on target as Madrid crush plucky Espanyol
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- France's Macron appoints new government in shift to right
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- Juve and Napoli play out goalless draw in early Serie A title tussle
American Red Cross ends blood donation restrictions targeting gay men
The American Red Cross on Monday announced it will now allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood without restrictions that specifically target them over their sexual orientation.
"The Red Cross celebrates this historic move as significant progress and remains committed to achieving an inclusive blood donation process that treats all potential donors with equality and respect while maintaining the safety of the blood supply," the humanitarian organization said in a statement.
The policy change follows updated guidance announced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May, and is set to expand the pool of people eligible to donate.
Under the FDA's new individual assessment policy, all prospective donors are asked about new or multiple sexual partners in the past three months.
If they report having a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner in the past three months, they would be asked if they had anal sex in the past three months. If the answer to the last question is yes, they would then be asked to defer their blood donation.
Penetrative anal sex has a higher risk of spreading many types of sexually transmitted diseases, because the thin lining of the anus is easily damaged, making it more vulnerable to infection.
The new rules replace policies that singled out men who have sex with men (MSM), or women who have sex with MSM, for time-based deferrals.
Andrew Goldstein, a cancer researcher from Los Angeles who was a regular blood donor in his younger years before the FDA's previous policies made him ineligible to donate as a gay man, welcomed the move.
"Something like giving blood feels like something so small that you can do, and it means a lot to me that I'll be able to do that again," said Goldstein, who participated in a clinical study in 2021 that paved the way for the new guidance.
Every two seconds, someone in the United States requires blood or platelets, whether for surgery, cancer treatment, chronic illness or traumatic injuries, according to the Red Cross.
"Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation," it says.
L.Miller--AMWN