Hoxworth Participating in National Gay Blood Drive Friday, July 11

Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, will participate in the National Gay Blood Drive Friday, July 11, 2014. Hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hoxworth Building, 3130 Highland Ave., fourth floor.

Since 1983, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a lifetime deferral on men who have sex with men from donating blood. This policy must be adhered to by all U.S. blood centers.  

For the National Gay Blood Drive, gay and bisexual men are encouraged to bring friends, family and other supporters from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community to donate in proxy for them. In addition to donating blood, donors will be signing a petition against the FDA policy, which will be sent to the White House. Participants will also receive an event T-shirt.

Hoxworth Blood Center along with AABB, an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies, America’s Blood Centers and the American Red Cross, believes that the current lifetime deferral of men who have had sex with other men should be modified and that donor deferral criteria should be made comparable with criteria for other behaviors that pose an increased risk for transmission of transfusion-transmitted infections. The organizations have suggested a one-year deferral, which is consistent with other activities that may pose a risk.

For more information, contact National Gay Blood Drive Cincinnati organizer Josh Neumeyer at Neumeyer.JR@gmail.com or 513-304-2021.

Appointments are strongly encouraged by calling 513-451-0910 or by visiting www.hoxworth.org.  Walk-in donors are welcome.

Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, was founded in 1938 and serves 30 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. Annually, Hoxworth collects more than 90,000 units of blood from local donors to help save the lives of patients in area hospitals.