CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend Blood Center will soon be implementing a new FDA regulation that will do away with abstinence restrictions for gay and bisexual men looking to donate blood.
The regulation will broaden eligibility for potential donors, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or sex by utilizing a screening questionnaire.
Coastal Bend Blood Center Director of Marketing/Public Relations Ashley Ramirez told 3NEWS that the regulation will impact everyone who is in need of a reliable blood supply, regardless of sexual orientation.
"We just want to remind everybody that this is something that affects all. It's not based on an individual's sexual orientation -- this is for everyone," she said.
While the regulation is a step in the right direction, Corpus Christi Pride Center Assistant Director Robert Robert Kymes said that there is still a lot of work to do in the LGBTQ community.
"If we have a lot of rules that are in place against the LGBTQ community, then it creates a lot of stigma," he said.
Kymes told 3NEWS that he views the new regulation as a breath of fresh air, hoping that that more change comes in the future.
"Old rules really don't have a place in today's society, so it's nice to see the old rules being replaced by more modern updated rules," he said.
Ramirez wants donors to know that while the regulation will result in higher donor numbers overall, it will take time for the blood center to implement the regulation.
"We're hoping to be fully implemented by the end of the year, but it's going to take time. We have tons of employees that have to be trained on this. There's a lot of new operating procedures that have to take place. We just have to make sure that everything is conducted correctly," she said.
Kymes said that he is hopeful for the new prospects the regulation will bring to blood drives around the Coastal Bend.
"I think now that their are less restrictions for gay and bisexual men to donate blood, I think we'll get a lot more donations for blood," he said.
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