Blood donations can make the difference between life and death — but there are still restrictions limiting who can donate. That includes men who have had sex with another man in the last three months — a restriction that many LGBTQ advocates say is both cutting off potential donors, and perpetuating a stigma that has followed gay men for decades. MOCHA Buffalo Program Manager DeJuan Burnell sits down with JoDee Kenney to discuss these restrictions and the work that’s been done to have them removed. The restrictions were created in the 1980s, when there was no reliable test to detect AIDS in a person’s blood — which — says is no longer the case today. According to the Red Cross, all donated blood is now tested for bloodborne diseases after it is collected — and Burnell says that the restriction now has little effect other than perpetuating the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and the gay community. 

You can watch the full interview with DeJuan Burnell of MOCHA Buffalo in the video player above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting Upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.