Sloane Henry used to frequent Pulse nightclub as a teenager.
When the Pulse shooting happened last year, Henry, who is straight, donated blood but saw her LGBTQ+ friends turned away, despite being desperate to help.
“I saw so many of my friends being turned away (from donating blood) when they wanted to help, even when they were HIV-negative,” Henry said. “This blood ban affected my community, where I grew up.”
Now, Henry, a UF law student, is working with other law students to raise awareness of the blood ban on men who have sex with men.
These men can’t donate blood for 12 months after sexual intercourse, Henry said.
The Food and Drug Administration reduced the blood ban from a lifetime ban to 12 months in 2015, according to a 2015 press release.
Aaron Badida, the regional chair for the LGBT Bar Association, said he wants the policy to be re-examined due to more advanced screening methods available today.
“The benefits of allowing more people to give blood outweigh the risks of lifting the ban,” Badida, a 23-year-old UF law second-year, said.
The students tabled outside of a blood drive Tuesday and Wednesday.
Students wore red to encourage giving blood, and rainbow armbands were given out for students to wear over their gauze, Henry said.
“We do not want to discourage people from giving blood, but we want to equip them with some knowledge while they do that,” Henry, 27, said.
Robert Cook, the director of the Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium, said the testing blood banks use is “pretty close” to perfect.
Cook said current tests can detect the antibody or the HIV/AIDS virus within 24 hours of infection.
“I don’t think it would miss any people unless there was a lab error or someone didn’t do the test right,” Cook said. “There used to be a legitimate safety issue, and now there isn’t.”
Cook said he thinks those who are in favor of the ban may be making decisions based on fear.
“They may be making decisions without knowing how perfect the test is,” Cook said.
Brite Whitaker, the director of communication and outreach at LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, said the policy is always being looked at, especially by national blood banks.
“I can tell you that it’s not our ban,” Whitaker said. “We are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We adhere to their rules and regulations.”
The American Red Cross and the FDA couldn’t be reached for comment.
@Christina_M18
cmorales@alligator.org
