HRC Blog

Today commemorates World Blood Donor Day, a day the World Health Organization recognizes as a day to focus national efforts on improving the safety and adequacy of national blood supplies by promoting a substantial increase in the number of safe and voluntary blood donors who regularly donate blood. Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) has been very involved in advocating for reform of current blood donation guidelines to expand the list of eligible donors while simultaneously maintaining the safety of the U.S. blood supply. Current blood donor eligibility policies in the U.S are largely inconsistent, imposing significantly less restrictive deferrals to heterosexual men and women who engage in high-risk sexual behavior, yet permanently banning any man who has had sex with another man, even once, since 1977, from donating blood. This includes gay and bisexual men who are HIV-negative, consistently practice safe sex, or are in monogamous, long-term relationships. Furthermore, the policy does not reflect the huge advances in HIV testing technology made over the last 25 years that can detect HIV virus within 9 – 11 days of infection, currently used on all donated blood.

It’s been a big week for ‘The Normal Heart’ on Broadway – it opened April 27 to rave reviews, and it has just received five Tony Award nominations. Congratulations to everyone involved with the Broadway play!

As we posted back in March, the real funding battles for fiscal year 2011 and 2012 were looming. Last week, the federal government was nearly shutdown over FY 2011 issues that have absolutely nothing to do with funding our nation but rather political ideology. Fortunately, the doors were not closed, the lights stayed on and today, we learned that many critical programs for people with HIV/AIDS were spared significant cuts, or even received new funding.

Coming off the outstanding turnout at the marriage hearing this past week, the field team in Rhode Island went into full gear this weekend. We canvassed the famous Newport St. Patrick's Day Parade getting Rhode Islanders to call their state representatives and senators on the spot, and also sending them a postcard telling them they stand on the side of equality. Throughout the sea of green, the positive energy and good will bodes well for the fight ahead.

Today, March 10th is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It is a time to consider the toll the epidemic has taken and continues to take on women across the nation. More than a quarter of all new HIV infections in the U.S. are among women and AIDS is the third leading cause of death, behind cancer and heart disease, for all women in the U.S. It is also a time to take action for ourselves, our loved ones and our community. If you don’t know your HIV status, make an appointment to be tested. What about your partner? Encourage her to do the same.