Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Friday joined a 22-state coalition supporting a new policy proposal by the Biden Administration that would make it easier for the LGBTQ+ population to donate blood and plasma.
The current federal policy recommends barring gay and bisexual men from donating blood within three months of their most recent sexual conduct. However, at the start of 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed new guidelines that would do away with the current discriminatory approach.
The proposal instead suggests the use of a risk-based analysis for all donors, regardless of sexual orientation and gender.
In a joint letter, the coalition stated the new policy would help increase the nation’s available blood supply while also reducing wrongful stigmatization of LGBTQ+ individuals.