The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that people living with HIV will be now allowed to receive kidney and liver transplants from other people living with HIV. The new rule will take effect immediately. Life-saving organ transplants for people with HIV were prohibited for years up until this point for fears of transmission.
The decision follows a recent study from “The New England Journal of Medicine,” which discovered that kidney transplants between people with HIV had “similar high rates of overall survival and low rates of organ rejection,” as transplants between HIV-negative people, according to the Associated Press.
This final rule announced by HHS, continues the implementation of the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act, eliminates the clinical research and institutional review board (IRB) approval for kidney and liver transplants between HIV-positive clients.
The HHS Secretary commented on the rule saying “We continue to do everything in our power to increase access to life-saving organs while addressing health inequities faced by people with HIV.” He went on to say: “This rule removes unnecessary barriers to kidney and liver transplants, expanding the organ donor pool and improving outcomes for transplant recipients with HIV. This evidence-based policy update demonstrates our commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to the care they need.”
World health councils and organizations have been making headway in easing medical restrictions for HIV-positive people. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed rules on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. And this year, a top pediatricians’ organization confirmed that mothers with HIV can breastfeed if also taking certain medications, according to The Washington Post.
