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I had to call the FDA to see if this was true. I could not believe such all encompassing discrimination happens. (well, absent the military)

I had a long talk with the person at the other end of the line. She had some good points as to why this is the case.

On it's face it is abhorrent but the ban is not on homosexuals as a group, per se, it is a ban on men who have sex with men. But also banned are women who get paid to have sex. There is a ban on those who have had hepatitis. In fact I had it at age 13 in combination with mononucleosis. 40 years later I am still not allowed to give blood in case the virus is still alive in my system.

I do not know if the author's stats are correct on Black Americans. I do know that all blood is tested and that homosexuals are the only population where the behavior that has a high correlation with HIV is the main barrier to giving blood.

In a system where cost/benefit is always an issue it makes sense to exclude those who require additional testing not relevant to others (as a group) who donate.

The last time it came to a vote it was 7 - 6 not to lift the ban.
Whether the one person who voted against lifting the ban did so for purely biologic, scientific reasons or for homophobia, that we will never know.

Learn more about this author, Carol Levy.
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