CNN Interview- Transcript: Discriminatory Blood Ban

Interview

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JS: "The Food and Drug Administration did change their policy for gay and bisexual men just last year. Prior to December 2015, the FDA had a lifetime blood donor ban for all men who had sexual contact with other men, even once. Now the ban only applies to men who have had sex with other men within the last 12 months. I want to bring in Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, he's fighting to change the FDA's blood donor policy for gay and bisexual men. Congressman, thank you for coming on the air today."

Mike Quigley: "Thanks Jim for having me on."

JS: "So I understand you and two of your colleagues have drafted a letter to the FDA Commissioner asking the ban be ended, it has 109 signatures including 4 Republicans. Sadly, that's not close to a majority. In your view is there a realistic chance that you can get this policy changed?"

MQ: "Well we started 7 years ago and it didn't look like we had any chance at all, but even back then the FDA said that this was a suboptimal policy. It took us almost 6 years to get to the point to change what you described just now, to a one time deferral instead of a lifetime ban. I like to think that science and common sense will get us to a point where we eliminate this discriminatory policy."

JS: "Let me ask you this: the key issue seems to be this time period between infection and showing the antibodies for HIV which is how the blood is screened. According to the NIH, the National Institute of Health, it takes about 3 months for the bodies to produce enough antibodies--it can take 6 months for some people. So you have this period where you might be infected but you're not showing the signs that would then have that blood screened out. How do you handle that issue and that concern?"

MQ: "I think first, you change the questionnaire to reflect that. Second, you recognize this discrimination exists because of the questionnaire. Just remember that straight men who are practicing unsafe sex with multiple partners are not denied this opportunity to give life-saving blood. While a straight [sic?] man in a 30 year monogamous relationship is denied that same right. We trust this questionnaire a great deal. So I think it makes sense to be consistent with those who participate."

JS: "So you're saying that in effect, and this is factually true, we know that gay or straight men and women can be exposed to the HIV virus, so you think that both the policy and the questionnaire should reflect that?"

MQ: "Absolutely. The science has changed and the medical communities and the blood bank communities agree this should be a risk-based decision, not one on orientation."

JS: "Let me ask you this, because sadly HIV has been around for a number of decades now, you've had a couple problems in terms of reporting, one is that you have this window before the antibodies show up so even if the blood is screened, presumably some HIV positive blood can get through but you also just have the fact that some people might lie on their questionnaires. Since screening has been instituted, have there been any people who have gotten infected with HIV from donated blood?"

MQ: "None that we are aware of. We are planning to meet the administrators from HHS and the FDA to go over this analysis, help us understand the science that they're basing their decisions on. What's clear to us is, the science has improved screening dramatically, the questionnaires have improved. We have to remember this policy was put in place in the middle of the AIDS crisis and it was a lifetime ban. We have learned a lot since then; we need to know what additional research has to go into place to improve the science of screening, just to make the whole blood supply safer, putting aside the issue of gay men donating."

JS: "Congressman Mike Quigley, thanks very much."

MQ: "Thank you."

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