What’s a reasonable deferment period for a sexually active gay man to donate blood?

“Six months seems fair to me. That would give time for HIV to show up on a test. You don’t want to give somebody infected blood. But do that across the board. Don’t single out gay men for a deferment.”

“One year would be reasonable, just in case some type of disease would slip through the cracks. It takes time for HIV to incubate. But I wouldn’t limit [the policy] to gay men. It should be the same for any sexually active person.”

“Straight people don’t have to be celibate for a deferment period. Why should gay men have to be? Just accept the blood. And do thorough screening to ensure that it’s safe. If the government isn’t requiring that already, I’d be horrified.”

“I like sex. I can’t imagine requiring someone to abstain from sex for an extended period of time. That would really cut down on the blood supply. I say no deferment period. Just test all blood carefully. If it’s tainted, get rid of it.”