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BUSINESS Friday 12 May 2023
A13

New blood donation rules allow more gay men to HEALTH

give in U.S. DOCTOR ON DUTY

Oranjestad
By MATTHEW PERRONE Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Tel. 527 4000
AP Health Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay San Nicolas
and bisexual men in mo- Imsan 24 hours
nogamous relationships Tel.524 8833
can give blood in the U.S. Women in Difficulties
without abstaining from PHARMACY ON DUTY
sex under updated fed- Oranjestad:
eral health guidelines that del Pueblo: Tel. 582 1253
focus on donors’ behavior, San Lucas : Tel. 584 5119
not their sexual orientation.
The Food and Drug Admin- Women in Difficulties
istration guidelines finalized OTHER
Thursday ease decades- Dental Clinic 587 9850
old restrictions designed Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
Urgent Care 586 0448
to protect the blood sup- Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
ply from HIV. The agency +297 588 0539
announced plans for the Women in Difficulties
change in January and EMERGENCY
said this week the new ap- Police 100
proach can now be imple- Oranjestad 527 3140
mented by blood banks. Noord 527 3200
The updated guidelines do Sta. Cruz 527 2900
away with a requirement A person donates blood to the American Red Cross during a blood drive in Pottsville, Pa. on San Nicolas 584 5000
that men who have sex Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Police Tipline 11141
with men abstain from sex Associated Press Ambulancia 911
for three months prior to Anyone who has ever PrEP can donate as well.” Then in 2020, the agency Fire Dept. 115
Red Cross
582 2219
giving blood. tested positive for HIV will The FDA sets requirements shortened the abstinence
Instead, all potential do- continue to be ineligible and procedures for U.S. period to three months, af- TAXI SERVICES
nors regardless of sexual to donate blood. Those blood banks. All potential ter donations plummeted Taxi Tas 587 5900
orientation, sex or gen- taking pills to prevent HIV donors answer questions during the COVID-19 pan- Prof. Taxi 588 0035
der will be screened with through sexual contact about their sexual history, demic. q Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
a new questionnaire that will also still be barred, until injectable drug use and A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
evaluates their individual three months after their last any recent tattoos or pierc- Women in Difficulties
risks for HIV based on sex- dose. The FDA noted that ings, among other factors TRAVEL INFO
ual behavior, recent part- the medications, known as that can contribute to the
ners and other factors. Po- PrEP, can delay the detec- spread of blood-borne in- Aruba Airport 524 2424
tential donors who report tion of the virus in screen- fections. Donated blood is American Airlines 582 2700
having anal sex with new ing tests. then tested for HIV, hepa- Avianca 588 0059
partners in the last three The Human Rights cam- titis C, syphilis and other in- Jet Blue 588 2244
582 7896
Surinam
months will be barred from paign, an LGBTQ+ advo- fectious diseases.
giving until a later date. cacy group, called Thurs- In 2015, the FDA dropped Women in Difficulties
The FDA said the new poli- day’s announcement “a the lifetime ban on do- AID FOUNDATIONS
cy reflects the latest scien- real step forward” in a nations from men who FAVI- Visually Impaired
tific evidence and is in line statement. It added that have sex with men and re- Tel. 582 5051
with rules in the U.K. and more “can and must be placed it with a one-year Alcoholics Anonymous
Canada. done so that people taking abstinence requirement. Tel. 736 2952
It’s the latest move by the Narcotics Anonymous
FDA to broaden donor eli- Tel. 583 8989
gibility, with the potential Fundacion Contra Violencia
Relacional Tel. 583 5400
to boost donations.
“The implementation of Centre for Diabetes
Tel. 524 8888
these recommendations Child Abuse Prevention
will represent a significant Tel. 582 4433
milestone for the agency Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
and the LGBTQI+ commu- Women in Difficulties
nity,” Dr. Peter Marks, di- General Info
rector of the FDA’s center Phone Directory Tel. 118
for biological therapies,
said in a statement.
Gay rights groups have
long opposed blanket re-
strictions on who can give
blood, saying they discrimi-
nate. Medical societies
including the American
Medical Association have
also said such exclusions
are unnecessary given ad-
vances in blood testing. facebook.com/arubatoday/