DAYTON — Community Blood Center will implement new donor eligibility screening beginning Sept. 1 that eliminates broad restrictions based on sexual orientation and welcomes more donors to support the blood center’s mission of helping more people live more life.
Recently updated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines removes decades-old restrictions that deferred men who have sex with men from giving blood and made it challenging for gay and bisexual men to donate.
Beginning Sept. 1, all CBC donors will answer the same eligibility questions recommended by the FDA to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV. They will be assessed for blood donation based only on individual risk factors.
All donors regardless of gender or sexual orientation will be asked if they’ve had new and/or multiple sexual partners in the past three months. If they answer yes to either it is considered higher risk behavior, and they will be asked about the type of sexual contact.
“We want to be inclusive as possible while keeping the blood supply as safe as possible,” said CBC Vice President of Donor Services Tracy Morgan. “This change, based on the best science available, means many healthy people who might have been prevented from giving in the past can now be part of our donor family.
“Our mission is to take life further. We want more donors to know how it feels to give a gift that changes lives immediately and makes more tomorrows possible.”
The new approach to donor screening will continue to defer those with a higher chance of acquiring a new HIV infection. Other criteria already in place identify additional risk factors for acquiring HIV, and these will continue to be applied.
All CBC blood donations are required to undergo more than a dozen tests to ensure donations are safe for patients, including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, West Nile, and other infectious diseases.
Learn more and make an appointment to donate by using the Donor Time app, online at www.DonorTime.com or by calling (937) 461-3220.
Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form available at www.givingblood.org or at the Dayton CBC and mobile blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height), and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions can email [email protected] or call (937) 461-3220. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services® is an independent, not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides blood products to partner hospitals and health centers within its 18-county service area of western Ohio and eastern Indiana and to select hospitals and blood centers outside the region. For more information visit www.givingblood.org.
