FDA drops blood donation restrictions specific to gay and bisexual men

The Food and Drug Administration has dropped all restrictions specific to gay and bisexual men donating blood, a move long anticipated by public health experts and gay rights activists.

The new guidance, first proposed in January and finalized Thursday, will not restrict donations based on someone's sexual orientation or gender identity, and instead move towards an "individual risk-based" approach to reduce the risk of accidental HIV infection through the blood donation system.

The FDA originally banned donations from gay and bisexual men in the midst of the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis. In recent years, the FDA relaxed these rules, but had not lifted them completely.