Red Cross Blood Drives come to Solano Pride Center!
Not everyone can give blood…but everyone is eligible to volunteer.
There aren’t the same restrictions there used to be against our community, so schedule a time to come to the Conference Room off the Main Entrance to the Center’s building, and come out Wednesday, October 1st. Registration link to come…
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=SPBDF
The FDA has updated its blood donation guidelines to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.
This means that blood donation eligibility is no longer determined by sexual orientation or gender, but rather by specific sexual behaviors that may carry a higher risk of HIV transmission.
For at least a decade, many from the LGBTQIA+ community have been prevented from donating blood.
Many LGBTQIA+ folks have gone to their blood donation centers only to be turned away and only because of who they are. Can you imagine the stigma and the trauma that was inflicted when this has happened.
The FDA has dropped all restrictions specific to the LGBTQIA+ community who want to donate blood, moving to a new blood donation risk assessment tool that is the same for every donor regardless of how they identify, which rolled out in August of 2023.
This means that we can make history by donating blood at this point and time.
The new policy is one that public health experts and gay rights activists said had been a long time coming.
The blood donation policy for LGBTQ+ individuals has evolved over time. Initially, there were restrictions and bans, particularly for men who have sex with men (MSM).
Key points about the changes:
- 1985: Lifetime ban on donations from men who have sex with men (MSM).
driven by concerns about HIV transmission during the early years of the AIDS crisis. - 2015: One-year deferral period for MSM. Meaning MSM could donate if they hadn’t had sex with another man for a year.
- 2020: Three-month deferral period for MSM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the deferral period was shortened to three months.
- May 2023: FDA announced a new individual risk-based assessment for all donors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Eliminating the previous restrictions based on sexual orientation and gender identity, effective August 2023, according to the Red Cross.
- August 2023: The new FDA guidelines went into effect.
MAKE YOUR DECISION COUNT!
If you are looking for the right time to donate, it’s now.
Blood donations are needed year-round.
Consider taking the time to help save a life this year
Please support Solano Pride Center together with The Red Cross
WHEN: AUGUST 8, 10AM-3PM
WHERE: SOLANO PRIDE CENTER, 1234 EMPIRE ST., FAIRFIELD, CA.
Let’s take advantage of this moment!
6 Great reasons for giving blood
1. Every two seconds, someone, somewhere, is in need of blood. That person may be a car accident victim, cancer patient or have a bone marrow disorder. Blood also helps mothers after childbirth and people in major surgeries.
2.The truth is our blood is essential to our biological makeup. But we may not really understand just how important it is until we start to lose it.
3.The critical need for blood donations. In the U.S., the Community Blood Center estimates that 4.5 million people will need a blood transfusion this year. These life-saving transfusions are only made possible by blood donors.
4.There is no substitute for human blood. Despite advances in technology and medicine, there is still no substitute for human blood. It can only come from human donors.
5.1 in 7 people who enter the hospital need blood.
6.It takes just 10 minutes to donate blood. The actual donation takes 8-10 minutes, but the entire process takes less than 45 minutes. You can Click here to register during your lunch break. Be sure to eat a good meal before you donate.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY: Click here to register
Or contact: cristina@solanopride.org
