Signaling what may be the end of an era, the Obama Administration's Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Blood & Tissue Safety & Availability voted 16-2 today to allow men who have abstained from sex with another man for the past year to become blood donors.

"The system, in my mind, has been very successful, in part, I believe, because the public has trust in the system and the decisions we make," said Jay Menitove, chairman of the advisory group, as reported by Bloomberg Businessweek. "To maintain that trust and compliance on the part of the public, it is time to modernize."

The current federal policy bans men who have had sex with men at any point since 1977 from donating blood. The policy was established during the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The committee advises the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to blood, tissue, and organ donations.