Media Contact: Jerrica Williams
[ATLANTA, September 9, 2022] — The American Red Cross partnered with the FDA and several other blood centers in 2021 for the ADVANCE Study, an opportunity to gather data that could lead to changes in donor eligibility requirements to be more inclusive for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The ADVANCE (Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility) Study is a pilot study conducted by the American Red Cross, One Blood, Vitalant, and partner LGBTQ+ community health centers and funded by the FDA that is focused on the FDA’s donor deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM). The current MSM policy prohibits a man who has had sex with another man from donating blood for three months following the most recent sexual contact. The purpose of the study is to determine if different eligibility criteria for gay and bisexual men can be used at blood centers nationwide to determine individual risk rather than using a time-based deferral system. This study is a step toward modifying donor eligibility policies so that they do not unfairly exclude otherwise healthy individuals from helping patients who need lifesaving blood transfusions.
“Donating blood is something that I am very passionate about and always have been,” says Josh Stowell, an Atlanta ADVANCE Study participant. “Before this policy, I was donating blood to impact and save lives every quarter – all of this was taken away from me due to my sexual history. I became ineligible to donate blood 15 years ago. Think about the number of lives I could have positively impacted over the last 15 years!”
With three weeks remaining before the end of the study, the Red Cross in Atlanta, along with Atlanta Pride, invites gay and bisexual men between the ages of 18-39 who are sexually active and live in one of the study markets, like Atlanta, to participate. Participants in the study will have a blood sample drawn for HIV testing and answer different questions designed to determine individual HIV risk factors. Participants will also be compensated for their time, up to $85. The findings of this study will help determine the next steps that would be needed to modify the donor history questionnaire, which is required to donate blood.
To meet the goal of 2,000 participants, 250-300 from each area, the Red Cross encourages people to schedule an appointment to participate before September 30. To learn more and to register, visit ADVANCEStudy.org.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
