A 31-year ban preventing gay and bisexual men from donating blood may soon be under consideration to be partially revoked by Congress.

Bloomberg reports an advisory panel to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services voted 16-2 Thursday to end the ban, in line with other country's policies.

The group of doctors and blood-donation advocates said that the nation's policy should be changed to allow blood to be donated from men who have sex with other men after one year of abstinence.

The urging of reconsideration has come after a push from groups like the American Red Cross, who say the risk of the AIDS virus being transmitted through blood transfusions is infinitesimal in many cases and is preventing the groups from receiving much-needed donations.

Current policies prevent donations from any male who has had sex with another males since 1977, a policy that was first enforced in 1983. But, experts said that the low risk is not enough to justify a full ban.

The subject was first broached in 2010, when the HHS advisers voted 9-6 to keep the full ban in place but said that research was needed to find a better way since the current policy wasn't necessary the best.

The U.K., Australia and Canada have already adopted policies ranging from one to five years of abstinence for men who have had sex with other men.

"I think blood collection organizations have all come out in favor of a one-year change," said Debra Kessler, director of special donor services at the New York Blood Center.

The new information and advice from the panel will also help the Food and Drug Administration, which is also responsible for a part of the process for blood donations.

Jennifer Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the agency, said, "The FDA's primary concern as we continue to review our blood donation policies will be assuring the continued safety of blood and blood products for the patients who receive these products."