More people will be eligible to donate blood under newly-approved federal guidelines.
The new FDA policy ends the blanket prohibition of donations by men who have sex with men, or by women who have sex with such men.
Instead, patients will be evaluated initially, with prospective donors being excluded only if they have recently engaged in certain high-risk sexual practices; individuals taking medication to prevent HIV infection, like PrEP, may also have donations deferred.
ImpactLife, which handles blood donations in the Springfield area, says the new guidelines will be implemented for local donors by the end of this year.
