Sheryl J. Moore : FDA Urged to Relax Tissue Donation for Gay Men: Equality for All

– FDA relax tissue donation restrictions gay men
– FDA tissue donation restrictions gay men relax.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : The federal government made significant changes in 2020 and 2023 regarding who is eligible to donate organs and blood, particularly lifting restrictions on men who have had sexual relations with other men. However, while these restrictions were modified, the regulations surrounding donated tissue, including corneas, remain in place. This has sparked frustration among advocates, lawmakers, and organizations focused on facilitating cornea donations, who are calling for the alignment of guidelines for tissue donated by gay and bisexual men with those applicable to the general population.

One of the leading voices advocating for the relaxation of these restrictions is Sheryl J. Moore, who became an advocate following the tragic death of her 16-year-old son, Alexander “AJ” Betts Jr., in 2013. While AJ’s internal organs were successfully donated to save seven lives, his corneas were rejected due to a discriminatory question posed by the donor network regarding his sexual orientation. This prompted Moore and Dr. Michael Puente Jr., a Colorado-based doctor, to launch the “Legalize Gay Eyes” campaign, which gained national attention and support from eye-related organizations and legislators.

Dr. Puente, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado, has been vocal about the outdated and discriminatory nature of current donor guidelines. He emphasised that advancements in HIV testing technology have rendered these restrictions unnecessary and unjust, particularly considering the negligible risk of HIV transmission through cornea transplants.

Despite efforts to bring about change, the FDA has yet to act on proposed revisions to tissue donation guidelines, which have been on the agenda of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research since 2022. This delay has drawn criticism from U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and other lawmakers, who argue that the current deferral policies perpetuate stigma and should be based on individual risk assessments rather than blanket restrictions.

While the FDA justifies these policies as a means of preventing HIV transmission, critics argue that they are outdated and fail to account for scientific advancements in HIV testing. The FDA’s stance on cornea donation, which requires a five-year abstinence period for gay and bisexual donors, has been particularly scrutinised for its impracticality and discriminatory nature.

Advocates point out that cornea transplants have no history of HIV transmission, and current testing methods make the risk of undetected infections extremely low. Researchers have shown that nucleic acid tests are highly effective in detecting HIV and hepatitis, further questioning the need for prolonged deferral periods for gay and bisexual donors.

In light of these facts, calls for the FDA to align tissue donation guidelines with blood donation policies have intensified. The FDA’s delay in enacting changes has been criticised as unacceptable, with demands for policy decisions to be based on scientific evidence rather than historic bias.

The story of AJ Betts Jr. and his mother, Sheryl J. Moore, serves as a poignant reminder of the impact of discriminatory donation policies. Moore’s advocacy for inclusive and scientifically informed guidelines reflects the need for a more equitable approach to organ and tissue donation, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to save lives through donation.

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