Gay and bisexual men
should no longer be banned from donating
blood in the US, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended.The ban has been in place since the HIV/Aids epidemic in the mid-1980s.
Men who have had sex with other men in the previous 12 months will still be banned, the FDA said in a statement.
The move brings the US into line with other countries such as the UK, Australia and Spain, which have also lifted outright bans in recent years.
New guidelines will be drafted in early 2015 and then a consultation period will follow.
Currently the ban excludes men who have had sex with other men at any time since 1977.
Campaigners have long argued the ban discriminates against gay and bisexual men and reinforces negative stereotypes.
And due to advances in HIV testing, the American Medical Association and other groups say the lifetime ban is no longer supported by science.
Source:BBC
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