March 10th, 2008

Kassing ‘disappointed’ after meeting with FDA

Hoping to establish a timeline for a review of the Food and Drug Administration’s blood donation policies, SJSU President Don Kassing met with agency officials in Washington D.C. last week and left “a little disappointed, a little frustrated,” Vice President Larry Carr said. No timeline was established.

Carr, who was also at the meeting, said FDA officials emphasized that the agency was a mechanism of regulation, not research, and that current medical science justifies its protocols.

“They believe it is not their responsibility to go look for new science or technology,” Carr said. “They’ll let the science change the policy when the science is ready. They leave that up to the private market.”

An FDA policy in effect since 1983 defers for life any male who has had sexual contact with another male “even once” since 1977. According to the FDA, the policy works to prevent the transmission of the AIDS virus and hepatitis B, and is based on multi-tiered risk assessment models.

Kassing suspended the organization of blood drives on campus property Jan. 29 stating that the policy was in violation of the university’s nondiscrimination code.

“Kassing doesn’t have any reason coming out of that meeting to change the position that San Jose State has and we will continue to have this suspension,” Carr said. “The FDA’s policy, whether backed by science or not, is in conflict with our nondiscrimination policy.”

- Michael Rizzo, Spartan Daily Project Manager

Related Stories:
Feb. 25, 2008: Kassing requests FDA to meet about blood drives
Feb. 18, 2008: Board slams FDA policy
Feb. 14, 2008: Campus Voices: Do you agree with SJSU’s ban on blood drives?
Feb. 13, 2008: University stands alone in blood policy
Feb. 13, 2008: President fields questions from campus media
Feb. 13, 2008: Opinion: Making sense out of blood drive nonsense
Feb. 12, 2008: Controversy no longer local
Feb. 7, 2008: Plot thickens in wake of blood drive suspension
Feb. 7, 2008: Where to donate blood off campus
Feb. 7, 2008: Opinion: This Queer Life: Bad Blood
Feb. 4, 2008: President halts blood drives; policy questioned
Feb. 4, 2008: Opinion: Making a deadly situation worse
Jan. 30, 2008: Blood drives stopped
Poll: Do you agree with SJSU’s blood drive ban?

Other Links:
Jan. 29 Letter from President Kassing
Other links from the President’s office
Feb. 21 Letter from President Kassing

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