Since the AIDs crisis in 1983, the FDA banned men who have had sex with men from ever donating blood for life--until now.
Although the percentage of homosexuals that have contracted HIV is greater than heterosexuals, LGBT activists are still claiming that the policy is unfair and stigmatized. From a health and science perspective, experts are saying that the 1-year policy is enough time to know if a gay person has contracted HIV and whether he is eligible to provide healthy blood.
The arguments that heterosexuals also have come in contact with HIV, use/share infected needles for drugs, and/or have high numbers of sexual partners are not enough for policy makers to accept blood in a fashion that does not stigmatize gay and bisexual men. Such options are claimed to be expensive, and financially unethical. The celibacy period is the best option at this point to allow gay and bisexual men to donate without increasing the spread of HIV. As science and treatments progress, there is hope to eradicate HIV risk and potentially remove policies that exclude gay men.
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=37858339&nid=157
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