Health experts have been using convalescent plasma since the early 20th century to treat emerging infectious diseases. This time, it is being used to treat COVID-19, and authorities call out to people with antibodies to donate plasma and save others.
However, it is now faced with conflict as what others would call a discriminatory blood and plasma donation practices. For four decades, the federal government has banned a pool of people from donating blood or plasma to prevent an HIV crisis.
Conflict on Convalescent Plasma Donation
In 2015, a federal restriction on blood or plasma donation required gay men to abstain from sex for at least 12 months if they are to donate. But due to the pandemic, it was loosened in April, allowing them to donate after three months of abstinence.
But the original restriction in 1983 states that the US Food and Drug Administration imposes a lifetime ban on blood donation for a man who had sex with another man. This is because HIV testing technology was still unreliable back then, and blood banks wanted to ensure the safety of their blood supply.
But today, modern technology has allowed health practitioners to examine and screen the blood sample for HIV, making sure that it is safe.
But it seems that the loosened federal restriction remains active even as the COVID-19 pandemic is happening. It has restricted plasma donations from those people with antibodies for COVID-19 who are willing to donate.
Keith Muller of Pompano Beach said that the restriction is flat-out discrimination and not just make him feel not equal but also hurts those people who could have benefited from the plasma. He calls for the rule to be fixed.
Stephen Plescia and Muller had bee married for four years, but they have been together for 32 years already. They both tested negative of HIV and wanted to donate their plasma after recovering from COVID-19 in March.
However, OneBlood turned him away after revealing in his questionnaire about his sexual orientation and sexual history.
Fixing the Restrictions
Following the FDA rule, OneBlood and other blood banks are in a tight spot as they must follow the policy set by the agency. They would have wanted to have a larger donor pool during this pandemic to save more lives as blood and plasma donations are in low supply and high demand.
Every blood donated is tested for syphilis, HIV, different types of hepatitis, and other infections. If someone's blood tests positive to any of these tests, it will not be administered to any patient.
That is why it does not make sense for the restrictions, says Executive Director of HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute in Washington, Carl Schmid.
According to the FDA, it is their role to ensure the safety of the public health, but they are open to fixing the restrictions by screening blood donors for possible HIV infection based on behavior, like unprotected sex with strangers rather than their sexual orientation.
They plan to enroll 2,000 gay men willing to donate their blood for a pilot study to test this concept. In that way, they will gauge whether the donor questionnaire, which assesses risk by behavior, is as effective as the restrictions implemented today.
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