Blood Community Committed to an Inclusive Blood Donation Process

The following statement has been issued by AABB, America’s Blood Centers and the American Red Cross regarding FDA’s final guidance concerning individual donor assessment for blood donations:

“AABB, America’s Blood Centers, and the American Red Cross applaud the important, science-driven step forward in blood donation criteria that will base eligibility on an individual donor assessment using the same set of questions for all donors, regardless of sexual orientation. The blood community is proud to mark this progress towards a more inclusive blood donation process and is committed to working with the FDA and other stakeholders to ensure that deferral changes continue to be examined moving forward.

The blood community is united in its commitment to maintain the safety and availability of the nation’s blood supply. Evidence from the Transfusion Transmitted Infections Monitoring System (TTIMS), other countries, and from the recent Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility (ADVANCE) Study support evaluating donor eligibility using individual donor assessment and other existing safeguards.

We are grateful to the many stakeholders who participated in this effort and advocated for change, including blood centers, researchers, study participants, and LGBTQ+ community partners.

Blood collection organizations across the country are working diligently to complete the complex transition process to the safe and effective implementation of the new individual donor assessment eligibility criteria provided in FDA’s final guidance and look forward to welcoming new and returning donors as soon as possible.”