Legalize Cornea and Tissue Donation by Gay and Bisexual Men
As your constituent, I am writing to express my concern about the FDA's policy banning most gay and bisexual men from donating their corneas and other tissues, and to encourage you to sign a bicameral Congressional letter about this issue.
Corneal transplant surgery can cure many forms of blindness, with over 12 million visually impaired people in need of corneal transplant surgery worldwide. Unfortunately, there is a global shortage of donated corneas, with only 1 donated cornea available for every 70 people that need one. Despite this, a recent study found that between 1558 and 3217 corneas are being turned away in the United States and Canada each year for no other reason than the donors' sexual orientation. Allowing gay and bisexual men to donate could help make this life-changing surgery more available to blind people worldwide.
As my representative in Congress, I urge you to put your name on the bicameral letter being circulated by Reps. Neguse, Cicilline, and Quigley and Sens. Baldwin, Warren, and Bennet. This letter will request that the FDA and US Department of Health and Human Services revisit their decades-old restrictions on tissue donation by gay and bisexual men.
On May 20, 1994, the US Public Health Service banned corneal donation by any man who has had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years. Over 27 years later, this policy is still enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration. With modern HIV tests that are highly reliable within only a few days, there is no longer any reason to require gay and bisexual men to be abstinent for 5 years in order to donate their corneas.
This outdated regulation is harming thousands of blind patients and harming the dignity of the LGBT community.
I hope you would agree to put your name on the bicameral Congressional letter about this issue, and I'd encourage you to visit www.LegalizeGayEyes.org to learn more about this issue. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Corneal transplant surgery can cure many forms of blindness, with over 12 million visually impaired people in need of corneal transplant surgery worldwide. Unfortunately, there is a global shortage of donated corneas, with only 1 donated cornea available for every 70 people that need one. Despite this, a recent study found that between 1558 and 3217 corneas are being turned away in the United States and Canada each year for no other reason than the donors' sexual orientation. Allowing gay and bisexual men to donate could help make this life-changing surgery more available to blind people worldwide.
As my representative in Congress, I urge you to put your name on the bicameral letter being circulated by Reps. Neguse, Cicilline, and Quigley and Sens. Baldwin, Warren, and Bennet. This letter will request that the FDA and US Department of Health and Human Services revisit their decades-old restrictions on tissue donation by gay and bisexual men.
On May 20, 1994, the US Public Health Service banned corneal donation by any man who has had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years. Over 27 years later, this policy is still enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration. With modern HIV tests that are highly reliable within only a few days, there is no longer any reason to require gay and bisexual men to be abstinent for 5 years in order to donate their corneas.
This outdated regulation is harming thousands of blind patients and harming the dignity of the LGBT community.
I hope you would agree to put your name on the bicameral Congressional letter about this issue, and I'd encourage you to visit www.LegalizeGayEyes.org to learn more about this issue. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
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