In a rare victory for its LGBTQ community, Brazil's Supreme Court has overturned any and all restrictions on gay men donating blood.
Reuters reports: “After almost four years in court, seven of 11 Supreme Court justices voted on Friday in favor of overthrowing guidelines that barred men who had sex with other men from giving blood for 12 months, ending any waiting time. The Supreme Court said the ban was unconstitutional as it imposed restrictions on gay and bisexual men, backing Supreme Court Minister Edson Fachin who argued this offended the basic human dignity of gay and bisexual men.”
In the U.S., the FDA recently relaxed its policy, but gay and bisexual men are still barred from donating blood — and plasma — unless they abstain from sex for three months. The previous deferral period was one year. Yet many blood banks are still rejecting blood from gay and bisexual men, even with the restrictions eased.
