The FDA has lifted a life-time ban on homosexual or bisexual blood donors; male donors will now be asked only about their copulatory activities within the previous 12 months.

"In a story Dec. 21, The Associated Press reported that the FDA considered eliminating all restrictions for blood donations from gay and bisexual men. The story should have specified that the FDA considered eliminating restrictions based on HIV risk for blood donations from all donors. A clarified version of the story is below.

"The nation’s three-decade-old ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was formally lifted Monday, but major restrictions will continue to limit who can give blood.

"The Food and Drug Administration said it is replacing the lifetime ban with a new policy barring donations from men who have had sex with a man in the previous year. While the one-year ban has been criticized by activists it matches policies in other countries, including Australia, Japan and the U.K."--Associated Press