New rule expands organ transplant options for HIV-positive patients
A new rule allows people with HIV to receive kidney or liver transplants from HIV-positive donors. This change, effective Wednesday, expands the organ donor pool and aims to reduce wait times for all transplant patients. Previously, such transplants were limited to research studies. The new policy is backed by research showing similar survival rates and low rejection rates for organs from HIV-positive donors compared to those from HIV-negative donors. The practice of using HIV-positive donor organs began in South Africa in 2010 and was allowed in the U.S. for research in 2013. Since then, about 500 transplants from HIV-positive donors have been performed in the U.S.