Panel Votes Against Altering FDA Policy on Blood Donation

HHS' Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability recently voted against changing an FDA policy prohibiting men who have sex with men from donating blood. According to the panel, there is a small but still unacceptable increased risk of contamination to the blood supply if the government altered current blood donation standards. The committee also acknowledged the uneven treatment of men who have sex with men and called the current donor system "suboptimal."

• "Panel Reaffirms Ban on Blood Donations by Men Who Have Sex With Men" (Hobson, "Health Blog," Wall Street Journal, 6/14).
• "No Changes in Restrictions on Gay Blood Donors" (Zajac, Los Angeles Times, 6/12).