Gay Blood Ban Might Be Reduced in U.S.

On Thursday, the U.S. Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability made a recommendation that the ban on gay men donating blood be reduced significantly.

The committee suggested that gay men be allowed to give blood after one year of abstinence. Current regulations stipulate that men who have had sex with men are basically banned from donating blood for life.

It is important to know that this is only a recommendation. Bloomberg News notes that it is The Food and Drug Administration and not Health and Human Services who oversee the policy, though Health and Human Services' committee is a trusted source that does have influence.

The Huffington Post notes that reactions have been mixed. Gay Blood Drive--a national advocacy group dedicated to changing the rules, called it "a HUGE step in the right direction," while the Human Rights Campaign said the changes didn't go far enough and that the should be lifted entirely.