Tinder Supports HRC's Call to Lift the Ban on Blood Donations
Men
who have intercourse with other men are still prohibited from donating blood
due to what opponents have referred to as a discriminatory restriction. In an
effort to demand an end to the prohibition, Tinder has teamed up with the Human
Rights Campaign.
The
organizations are promoting the FDA-funded ADVANCE Research, also known as the
Assessing Donor Variability And New Concepts in Eligibility study. Policymakers
will use the study to ascertain whether authorities can put in place a
different blood donation deferral mechanism without tainting the blood supply.
Blood
donation restrictions were put in place during the AIDS crisis to prevent
sexually active men who had intercourse with other men from giving blood.
Currently, the FDA advises males to wait three months before providing blood
after having sex with another guy.
According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all given blood is already
screened for bloodborne infections, including HIV, using cutting-edge screening
methods, regardless of where it came from.
As
of April, both Canada and Austria have lifted their bans on homosexual and
bisexual men donating blood. Canada had previously prohibited males who have
had intercourse with other men from doing so.
Canadian
Blood Services now asks all donors about high-risk sexual conduct as part of
its mission to eliminate the question of whether men have sex with men.
Austrians have adopted a similar strategy that emphasizes each person's risk
profile rather than a general ban.
Renate
Nyborg, the CEO of Tinder, recently wrote an opinion piece for Fortune in which
she outlined the company's commitment to combating bias.
Through
our engagement with the Human Rights Campaign, I've learned how to leverage my
CEO position to assist bring about change, writes Nyborg. "Even though
this policy does not directly affect me, I truly believe that compassionate
people should have the freedom to improve society."
She
describes how users of Tinder may find out more about the ADVANCE study and how
the LGBTQ+ community is one of the dating app's fastest-growing segments.
Members
of Tinder who could be eligible will be prompted to swipe right on an "All
Types" Pride card in the app in order to access further information and
enroll in the study, according to Nyborg.