The lifetime ban was put in place during the early years of the AIDS crisis and was intended to protect the blood supply from what was a then little-understood disease. Monday's policy shift was first proposed in late 2014 and follows years of lobbying by medical groups and gay rights groups, who said the previous ban was outdated and perpetuated negative stereotypes. 'It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology.' 'It continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men,' said David Stacy, of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest U.S. Gay rights activists said the new policy is a 'step in the right direction,' but falls short. While the one-year-ban has been criticized by activists it matches policies in other countries, including Australia, Japan and the U.K. The Food and Drug Administration said it is replacing the lifetime ban with a new policy barring donations from men who have had sex with a man in the previous year.
WASHINGTON (CBS / AP) - The nation's three-decade-old ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was formally lifted Monday, but major restrictions will continue to limit who can donate.
