U.S. health officials allow organ transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients

U.S. health officials announced a new rule allowing organ transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients. This change, effective Wednesday, expands the donor pool and aims to reduce wait times for all patients needing kidney or liver transplants. Previously, such transplants were limited to research studies. The new rule is based on 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 but was restricted in the U.S. until 2013. Since then, about 500 transplants from HIV-positive donors have been performed in the country.