Bloodworks NW removes barriers for gay, bisexual donors

Starting Wednesday, gay and bisexual men in the Pacific Northwest have more freedom to donate blood than they have had since 1985.

This year the FDA changed its donor restrictions that had come out of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and Bloodworks Northwest implemented the modernized rules Wednesday.

The old rules made it challenging for gay and bisexual men to donate blood, requiring lengthy wait periods.

Now all donors, no matter their sexual orientation, will follow the same donation policies.

Until 2015, men who had sex with men were not eligible to donate due to an indefinite deferral. After 2015, they could not donate unless they waited 12 months from their last sexual interaction.

There is still a waiting period to donate, however. Any person who has had anal sex and a new sexual partner or more than one partner will need to wait three months from that time.

Bloodworks Northwest says that the new FDA rule "further ensures safety of the blood supply, treats all potential donors equally and enables more people the opportunity to donate blood."