Bush to turn gays away from sperm banks [View All]

[DaveSZ]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040520/hl_afp/us_health_homosexuals_040520172443


US to turn gays away from sperm banks

Thu May 20, 1:24 PM ET Add Health - AFP to My Yahoo!



WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government said it would ban homosexuals from making anonymous donations to sperm banks, in the name of preventing transmittable diseases, in a move swiftly condemned by gay rights groups.


New Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) rules that take effect May 25 require agencies that collect tissues or cells including sperm to ask the donor if he has had sex with men or used injectable drugs in the past five years. If the answer is affirmative in either case no donation is allowed.


The FDA says the rules are just an extension of procedures already in effect for donating blood or organs.


"This new rule was developed with input from many concerned consumers, associations and tissue establishments. In all cases, we carefully considered the comments we received in the proposed rule and made changes in the final rule when the science supported the change," said Acting FDA commissioner Lester Crawford.

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