India, June 14 -- Every year, thousands of Indians in critical medical need depend on life-saving blood transfusions. Yet, even as blood shortages persist, the country continues to enforce exclusionary policies that bar entire groups-particularly individuals from LGBTQIA+ communities and sex workers-from donating blood. These outdated bans are not just unscientific; they are discriminatory, rooted in stigma rather than evidence. It's time India reform its blood donation laws to reflect both medical advancements and human rights.

India's blood donation guidelines, modeled after policies formed in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, impose blanket bans on certain populations. Men who have sex with men (MSM), trans persons, and sex wor...