Gay Men Who’ve Recovered from COVID-19 Face Challenges When Donating Plasma
Throughout the pandemic, health officials have been urging individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their blood plasma, which can be used to treat patients suffering from the disease. Preliminary research shows that patients with (or at risk of) severe COVID-19 who receive convalescent plasma within three days of diagnosis are less likely to die than patients who receive convalescent plasma later in their illness.
Despite the need for blood plasma, many men who identify as gay or bisexual who have recovered from COVID-19 are waking up to the fact that they still can’t donate blood.