>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. DR. JEN IS BACK WITH US NOW, AND THE FDA IS OUT WITH A PROPOSAL TO ALLOW BISEXUAL AND GAY MEN TO DONATE BLOOD. >> TO FINALLY DONATE BLOOD. THIS JUST CAME OUT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK. THERE'S A 60-DAY WINDOW WHEREBY THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON THIS, BUT IT REALLY IS LOOKING LIKE THERE IS SCIENCE AND DATA TO SUPPORT THIS NEW SHIFT IN GUIDELINES AND ALLOW MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH OTHER MEN TO FINALLY DONATE BLOOD. IT REMOVES A HUGE SOCIAL STIGMA THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR WAY TOO LONG, AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, BIG PICTURE, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT TAKING A RISK-BASED APPROACH, INDIVIDUALIZING THAT, SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO DONATE BLOOD, WHICH IS LIFE-SAVING, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO DO THAT, THAT IT'S NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL. SO, EVERYONE NOW WILL BE ASKED ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL PRACTICES FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS RIGHT UP UNTIL THEY GO TO DONATE BLOOD, AND YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE THE SAME KIND OF CRITERIA THAT WE ALL GO THROUGH WHEN WE GO. WE WERE TALKING, WE'VE ALL DONATED BLOOD, AND THERE'S QUITE A LENGTHY MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO GO THROUGH BEFORE, SO THIS WILL OPEN IT UP TO A HUGE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION WHO SO BADLY WANT TO DO THEIR PART AND DONATE BLOOD. >> AND GIVE BACK, YEAH. >> WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALSO. THERE'S ALWAYS SHORTAGES, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, DON'T THEY TEST THE BLOOD BEFORE IT'S USED ON A PATIENT? >> ABSOLUTELY, THEY TEST IT, AND I HAVE TO SAY, LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HIV. IT'S HEPATITIS. THERE ARE OTHER VIRUSES THAT CAN HAVE A LATENCY PERIOD, SO, YES, THE BLOOD IS EXTENSIVELY TESTED AND SCREENED. BUT THERE CAN BE THINGS THAT, IF YOU'RE EXPOSED TO THE DAY BEFORE, LET'S SAY, YOU GO TO DONATE, MIGHT NOT SHOW UP ON TESTING, BUT AGAIN, VERY LOW RISK OF THAT. HUGE BENEFIT, SAVING