Gay men can now donate blood after FDA changes decades-old rule – a health policy researcher explains the benefits

In 1983, during the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the US Food and Drug Administration made the decision to ban gay men from donating blood. Now, 40 years later, it is dropping that rule.

Ayako Miyashita, Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
May 16, 2023 • ~6 min

Heading into the third year of the pandemic, the US blood supply is at a 10-year low

Life-saving blood is needed for everything from treating cancers and chronic conditions to helping trauma victims. But blood donations have dropped to crisis levels during the pandemic.

Anna Nagurney, Professor and Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst • conversation
Feb. 3, 2022 • ~9 min

How coronavirus is upsetting the blood supply chain

The US blood supply chain is often fragile, but the coronavirus could make it more so. An expert explains.

Anna Nagurney, John F. Smith Memorial Professor of Operations Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
March 12, 2020 • ~5 min

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