The American Red Cross announced that it will adopt new rules, recently relaxed by health authorities, starting Monday, August 7, to end restrictions on blood donation that specifically targeted gay men. Until now, gay men had to abstain from sex for three months if they wanted to donate blood, even if they were in an exclusive relationship.
From now on, "all donors will have to answer the same eligibility questions, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, and will be assessed for blood donation according to individual risk factors," the Red Cross said in a statement. This means "more donors" who can fulfill this "vital mission", welcomed the organization. The American Red Cross provides about 40% of donated blood to the United States.