UT Professor donates to save lives: More people can donate life-saving blood thanks to new blood donation guidelines

Joe Stabb prepares to donate blood.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 3, 2023 — The American Red Cross is now welcoming more donors into its lifesaving mission through updated FDA blood donation eligibility guidelines that eliminate longstanding broad, time-based deferrals based on sexual orientation.

Historic change

Under this new donor screening process, all donors answer the same eligibility questions regardless of gender or sexual orientation and will be assessed for blood donation based on individual risk factors, not on sexual orientation. This change eliminates the FDA’s previous policy that deferred men who have sex with men from giving blood.

The Red Cross celebrates this historic move as significant progress and remains committed to achieving an inclusive blood donation process that treats all potential donors with equality and respect while maintaining the safety of the blood supply. The Red Cross is committed to achieving further progress and will continue to provide data to the FDA in support of making blood donation even more inclusive.

Backed by science

Years of data have demonstrated that this new eligibility screening process ensures a safe blood supply patients can feel confident in. For years, the Red Cross has worked to change the deferral policy concerning men who have sex with men – this work included decades of data collection and assessment to improve transfusion safety, ongoing advocacy to eliminate donor questions based on sexual orientation, and our recent role as a leading contributor in the FDA-funded ADVANCE Study.

More people can now give

This change means many healthy individuals who previously could not give will now be able to support their community through the gift of blood donation.

Dr. Joseph Stabb of Knoxville is an assistant professor of practice, at Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations at the University of Tennessee. As a gay man, Stabb was unable to donate until this year. Today, he will donate blood for the first time under the new guidelines and is excited to help save lives through blood donation.

“I am excited to see that the federal government has changed the policy that now allows me to donate life-saving blood and to support the health of others in my community,” Dr. Stabb said. “The American Red Cross implements a great deal of social good, locally and globally, and I am honored that I can increase my support of this organization.” Joseph and many others can share their good health with patients in need of lifesaving transfusions.

Learn more

The Red Cross welcomes everyone who wishes to be part of our humanitarian mission. You can learn more about these updates as part of our Eligibility FAQs. There is also information specific to the LGBTQ+ community on our LGBTQ+ Donors page.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.