Since 1994, The Food & Drug Administration has turned away the tissue donations of queer men.
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This policy is wrong. It is discriminatory. It is time for it to end. 
The Start
In 1994, the FDA released updated guidances to reduce the risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus transmission through tissue donation. This guidance included a new deferment policy- tissues from queer men are denied if the donor had sex with another man within the past 5 years. 
The Jurisdiction
Tissue and Organ Donation are regulated by the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services. 
Department of Health & Human Services
  • Creates guidelines and regulations for organ donation.
    • These can include lungs, kidneys, livers, and larger donations
    • Organs are groups of tissues that work together to perform larger functions
  • The DHHS does not have ANY deferment policies targeting queer men for organ donation. 
Food & Drug Administration
  • Creates guidelines and regulations for tissue donation
    • These can include heart valves, vasculature, sperm
    • Tissues are groups of cells that work together to perform a shared function
  • The FDA created, enacted, and enforces the 5-year queer tissue ban. 
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What Donations are Impacted by the Ban?
The following tissues are included in the 5-year queer tissue ban. If a donor has had any form of sexual activity with another man within the past 5 years- these tissues cannot be legally donated due to the FDA's rule. 
  • Corneas
  • Bone
  • Sclera
  • Skin
  • Tendons
  • ​Ligaments​
  • Heart Valves
  • Dura Mater
  • Cartilage
  • Oocytes (any woman/non-binary donor who has had sexual contact (w/in 12 months) with a man who has had sex w/another man in the past 5 years)
  • Sperm
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells/Progenitor Cells
What is Pride & Plasma Doing to Fight the Policy?
-Research: This is a complicated issue, and one that is more complex than blood donation. With the queer blood ban, we had the opportunity to draw upon the work of previous organizations and efforts, like the National Gay Blood Drive, assess research studies on the issue, and talk to blood centers about the current shortage. Also, blood is only one type of donation. With tissue ban, we increase the number of tissues from 1 to 12. The Blood Ban has been in place for close to 4 decades, but was evaluated at a more frequent pace. The tissue ban was implemented in 1994 and hasn't been reduced since. We've got more information to find and more questions to ask. 

-Partnerships: This one won't change too much. We'll work with our existing partners to share information, we'll reach out to shareholders in organ and tissue donation, and we hope to enlist the support of health care workers and facilities directly impacted by tissue donation. Less people know about the tissue ban than the blood ban- so we really need to direct energy towards getting the word out. 

-Educate: Share the information we find. Break down the policy into sizes that are digestible for those without a healthcare and policy background. Talk about the importance and need for organ and tissue donation. And as always, make some memes about the government's rampant homophobia. 

-Argue: Just as we spoke at the FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee last meeting on 12/8/22, we're prepared to speak again. This work doesn't end with public support and outcry. The policy needs to change and the discrimination needs to end. 

Keep an eye on our website & social media pages-

We'll share updates and information as it comes in