Blood donation comes with a ticking sound, a count of the roughly 42 days that whole blood can be banked before it’s no longer usable. Blood banks and hospitals are daily involved in a complex dance to move blood to where it’s needed.

If you are gay, of course, you can pay no attention to donating life-saving blood. Currently there’s a lifetime “deferral” for men who have at any time since 1977 had sex with other men. This is an FDA policy, nothing to do with your local blood bank. Continue reading How Long Until Gay People Can Give Blood?