I was doing research for an upcoming debate research on the MSM ban on donating blood. MSM is men who've had sex with men. It's ridiculous to believe that this ban is targeting a sexual orientation. The ban also includes prostitutes and women who've had sex with MSM.
Lifting the ban would greatly endanger the blood supply. Only 78% of new HIV infections in the US occur in MSM. And yes, HIV testing has greatly improved since the ban was instituted in the 1980s, but there is still a ten day incubation period where HIV could go by undetected. In addition to this, according to a study done by the FDA, men who'd had a history of MSM had a 62-fold increase in HIV-transmission among donors. A history of multiple partners only had a 2.3-fold increase.
The ban is there for a very good reason and shouldn't be lifted.
Could the blood be required to undergo a 10 day waiting period, thus testing would occur after the incubation period and HIV could be detected?
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