美國允許同性戀男子獻血 但須"禁慾"12個月

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday it has lifted a 30-year-old lifetime ban on blood donations by gay men, allowing those who haven't had sexual contact with other men in a year to do so.

美國食品藥品監督管理局(食藥監局)21日正式解除一項實施了30年的終身禁令，將禁止同性戀、雙性戀男子獻血的規定改爲允許他們禁慾12個月後獻血。

With the decision, the United States joined countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, which also have 12-month deferrals for men who have sex with men to donate blood.

這項決定的做出使得美國的政策與英國、澳大利亞等國家的政策看齊。這些國家也允許同性戀禁慾12個月後獻血。

"In reviewing our policies to help reduce the risk of HIV transmission through blood products, we rigorously examined several alternative options, including individual risk assessment," said Peter Marks, deputy director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence."

FDA生物製品評估和研究中心主任皮特·馬克斯表示：“爲了使我們的政策有助於通過血液製品降低艾滋病傳染的風險，我們嚴格檢查了多個選項，包括個人風險評估。最終，科學證據表明12個月是最好的空窗期。”

People with hemophilia or related clotting disorders are also still deferred from donating blood. The rationale, however, has changed "from preventing HIV transmission to ensuring that such donors are not harmed by the use of large bore needles during the donation process," said the U.S. regulator.

美國的負責人表示，血友病患者或有相關凝血障礙的潛在獻血者仍禁止獻血，這樣做的原因是“出於對他們自身的保護，因爲獻血過程中使用的針頭會對他們造成潛在的傷害”。