Mount Holyoke Professor Patty Brennan receives lifetime honor for genital morphology research

Professor Patty Brennan was elected an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow for her contributions to biological research. Photo couretsy of Patty Brennan.

By Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Science and Environment Editor

A comic posted outside of Mount Holyoke Professor Patty Brennan’s office depicts two ducks going on a dinner date.  As the female duck excitedly chatters about the latest avian gossip — old men tossing bread, close encounters with dogs — the male duck is distracted by a more pragmatic thought: “Oh my god. Your vagina better spiral in the same direction as my penis or I am out.”

Brennan is an associate professor of biological sciences whose research focuses on the evolution of genital morphology in animals, according to the Mount Holyoke College website. In Jan. 2023, Brennan was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a lifetime award granted to “scientists, engineers and innovators from around the world” in recognition of the contributions to society made throughout their careers, according to AAAS. The AAAS Fellow award dates back to 1874, with previous honorees including W.E.B. DuBois, the “founding father of American sociology,” and Ellen Ochoa, a former astronaut and the first Hispanic director of the Johnson Space Center, states their website. According to the College, Brennan was one of over 500 Fellows elected to the 2022 class. “I’m actually really excited about it because I love AAAS,” she said of the award, adding that she has been a member of the organization since grad school.

Brennan’s interest in biology came long before her emergence into the field of genital morphology. She studied the cardiac function of marine animals at the Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano in Bogotá, Colombia, and later went on to spend two years on a research boat traveling around the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica. She then completed a doctorate at Cornell University, where her research largely focused on birds. She explained that upon starting the program she was less familiar with avian research, but was drawn to the field by an opportunity to study a group of birds in her home country of Colombia. Brennan had no idea at the time, but this group of birds was one of the few species that have penises, which would ultimately shape the direction of her career, she said. “When I watched them mating, I saw the penis and I realized,” she said of her discovery of the birds’ genitalia. “I thought it was so weird,” she continued. This initial glimpse into the world of avian genital morphology made her realize how little was known about the subject, and she resolved to investigate it further. 

Morphology, in a biological context, refers to “the study of the size, shape and structure of animals, plants and microorganisms and of the relationships of their constituent parts,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Brennan’s research has explored genital morphology throughout the animal kingdom. The diversity of animals found in Brennan’s studies is a product of her opportunistic research style. She explained that she reaches out to other labs in search of animal carcasses, and begins a study once she has enough specimens to work on. She remarked that it is relatively easy to obtain specimens, as most focus on parts of animals other than the genitalia, “in fact I have three freezers full of dead things downstairs,” she said with a laugh.

In the early days of her research, she discovered that female ducks have complex vaginas, which tells a “story of sexual conflict in genitalia,” she said. Sexual conflict is a common theme throughout Brennan’s research. The term describes when male and female members of a species have opposing reproductive interests, she explained. While both feel the biological urge to reproduce and advance the survival of their species, males and females may “disagree on the details,” such as who cares for the offspring. These differences are not expressed over a bread basket in a nice restaurant, as the comic outside Brennan’s office may suggest, but through the evolution of their genitalia. Genital morphology has evolved in a variety of ways in response to sexual conflict, Brennan explained, from mechanisms in females’ vaginas that prevent the entrance of an unwanted male, to penile spines that injure females during procreation, delaying future procreation until they are healed. “For ducks, it is about where the sperm ends up,” she said. 

According to a 2009 study conducted by Brennan and other researchers at Yale University, ducks have unique corkscrew-shaped genitalia with an important difference between the sexes — while females have vaginas that spiral in a clockwise direction, males’ penises spiral counterclockwise. This is an example of “sexually antagonistic genital coevolution” which is when “the sexes evolve traits that allow them to control the outcome of fertilization,” the study said. The study found that the opposing morphology of the male and female genitalia can prevent the penis from fully entering the vagina in situations of unwanted copulation. As a result, the male duck’s sperm is deposited farther from the ovaries during forced copulation, helping the female avoid an unwanted pregnancy. “I was surprised that this was something that was not already known,” she said of the female’s unique anatomy, adding that she then wanted to see if her discovery applied to other species, leading to a wealth of new research on the genital morphology of other animals including bats, snakes and dolphins.

Another focus of Brennan’s research is clitoris morphology. According to ResearchGate, her publications on the subject include the first “complete description” of the snake clitoris and a study that suggests the presence of functional clitorises in dolphins. “I think that it is asking about pleasure, and the evolution of pleasure and the importance of pleasure,” she said of her research. She added that she aims to improve the understanding of human pleasure through her work and disrupt the notion that “everyone expects that sex will be pleasurable for males, but females not so much”, commenting that issues related to pleasure are often ignored “as long as [the individual] can still get pregnant.” 

Her research in vaginal biomechanics, which investigates the diversity found in vaginal structures, comes from a similar motivation. This diversity plays an important role in the study of the human vagina. She offered the example of research on the effects of birth on the human vagina, which is often done using rat vaginas despite their major morphological dissimilarities. Brennan hopes to use her research on biomechanic diversity to find better subjects to inform human-centered research. “I am looking at other models that we can use to look at what happens to the vagina when it is stressed during birth,” she said.

Brennan’s research has been the subject of much excitement from the public and in the media. “People love stories of weird animal sex,” she said, adding that each new discovery is “something that we should have known but we didn’t for some reason.” Brennan does not shy away from the intrigue. “It’s one of the best parts of my research, being able to do outreach,” she said. She is also an advocate for basic science. Basic science, unlike applied science, does not attempt to address a particular issue, but instead evolves out of curiosity and a desire to expand scientific knowledge, an NPR article about Brennan’s work stated. In a 2014 article titled “Time to step up: defending basic science and animal behaviour,” Brennan and other authors argued for the continued support of basic scientific research after U.S. politicians and interest groups deemed several “unusual” scientific studies a waste of spending. 

Today, basic science faces a more positive outlook, according to Brennan. “I think the biggest change happened just now with Covid,” she said, explaining that ongoing research on coronaviruses enabled scientists to rapidly develop a vaccine amid the wave of panic caused by the pandemic. “If we hadn’t had that basic science infrastructure we would’ve been really screwed,” she remarked. Brennan went on to explain that this demonstration of the importance of supporting all types of research led Congress to devote more funding to the National Science Foundation. The AAAS’s support of basic science is another reason why Brennan was excited to be elected as a Fellow, she said. “They really are a fantastic organization and I just couldn’t be happier,” she said. 

Brennan remarked that after working for Yale University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mount Holyoke made an ideal home for her research. “It’s really kind of funny,” she said of the harmony between her research and Mount Holyoke’s status as a historically women’s college, “but it’s perfect because my students are really interested.” Brennan runs a robust lab, with thesis and independent study students conducting research on topics such as shark and ratfish genitalia. She added that our current lack of understanding of female genitalia is “damaging in the long term.” 

“It’s exciting to be at the forefront of those questions at a place like Mount Holyoke,” she said. As a Hispanic woman, Brennan also emphasizes the importance of diversity in research. “If we don’t have diversity in science we are not going to ask the right questions,” she said.

Western states struggle to reach consensus on water rights

Lake Powell, pictured above, is among the reservoirs struggling under the pressure of the drought. Photo courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory via Flickr.

By Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Science and Environment Editor

Critically low water levels in the Colorado River did not appear overnight. In fact, the drought crisis in the Western U.S. has been unfolding since the turn of the century, a Washington Post article reported. According to the article, the drought “has been building for decades but has come to a head in recent years” as major reservoirs along the river have dwindled to dangerously low levels. The crisis is spurred on by a combination of climate change and the overallocation of water rights, The Los Angeles Times reported. In order to continue providing water to the 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River, Western states have been forced to cut their water usage and negotiate new water rights allocations, the Washington Post article said.

The Los Angeles Times recently published a series titled “Colorado River in Crisis” which follows the drought and investigates how it will impact the communities that rely on the river. According to a recent article from the series, scientists began expressing concerns in the 1990s over the ability of the river and its reservoirs to support Western states while withstanding climate change. By 2000, the Colorado River watershed had already entered a period of drought which has only worsened over the past two decades. 

The Colorado river supplies water to the seven states that border it, the Washington Post article explains. These states are further divided into the “Upper Basin” and “Lower Basin” regions. The “Upper Basin” states include Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. These states get their water by diverting the river thousands of times to redirect it towards different users, the article said. Arizona, California and Nevada comprise the “Lower Basin” states, which rely on large man-made reservoirs — such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead — for their water. Water levels in the two lakes currently stand at a parched one-quarter full, and the river is put under additional stress by “hotter and drier conditions” caused by climate change, the article said. These conditions also diminish the ability of snowmelt to replenish the reservoir, by causing increased evaporation rates and greater absorption of melting snow by soil and plants. The article explains that over the past two decades, water use has exceeded the natural flow of the river. The Los Angeles Times reported that chronic overuse of water resources caused the Colorado River Delta, a region in Mexico where the river flows into the ocean, to have “largely dried up decades ago.”

According to The Washington Post, regulations governing the use of the river’s resources date back to the signing of the 1922 Colorado River Compact, which defined water rights for each of the seven states along the river. Later, regulation written in 1944 granted a share of the river’s resources to Mexico. Water rights for the “Lower basin” states were redefined in the 1963 Supreme Court case Arizona v. California. The new allocations granted California 4.4 million gallons of water each year, the largest share of the seven states, while Arizona received 2.8 million gallons and Nevada 300,000 gallons. In 1968, the construction of canals that brought water from the river through Arizona, called the Central Arizona Project, was completed. In exchange for the increased water access provided by the project, Arizona accepted “junior water rights,” meaning that during drought periods California is entitled to “get its share of water before Arizona,” the article explained.

To remedy the drought before it reaches critical levels, federal managers are asking states to reduce their water consumption by 15 to 30 percent, the Los Angeles Times article reported. So far, six of the seven states have agreed on a proposal for new water allocations that would achieve these reduced usage levels. California remains the lone dissenter, instead electing to submit its own proposal, the article explained. The disagreement between California and the rest of the West hinges on the inclusion of evaporation in the calculation of water losses that would need to be made up for with cuts in water usage. Evaporation is especially significant in the areas of the river that California relies on, meaning that it would have to make larger cuts than the rest of the states.

The looming crisis also forces Western states to balance the water needs of their residents against those of the agricultural industry, an article from The Nature Conservancy explains. According to the article, water from the Colorado River is used to irrigate farmlands both inside and beyond the river basin, totaling an area the size of New Hampshire. Agriculture alone accounts for 80 percent of water usage from the river, the article said. To lessen the pressure of agriculture on the river and free up resources for other uses, The Nature Conservancy has helped farmers adopt creative methods for reducing water usage, from creating a “water bank” to growing crops that thrive in drier conditions. 

David Pierce, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, described the current water allocation system as “carefully calibrated to just break even in the absence of climate change,” to The Los Angeles Times. The article emphasized that to sustain their populations and industry, Western states will need to agree on a new system that will hold up against the years of drought to come.

Alarm raised in environmental community following oil project proposal

The Biden administration faced backlash after approving multiple new oil drilling sites in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Gillfoto via Wikimedia Commons.

By Sarah Grinnell ’26

Staff Writer

With ambitious pledges to cut U.S. emissions and prioritize climate policy, the election of President Joe Biden in 2020 seemed in line with the goals of many environmental activists, The New York Times said. However, many of these climate advocates are now expressing their ire over the major step the Biden Administration has recently taken towards greenlighting an $8 billion ConocoPhillips oil project on the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a project which activists and Indigenous communities argue will accelerate climate change and environmental damage to the Alaskan landscape, The New York Times reported. 

According to The New York Times, in the wake of court appeals and challenges by a number of critics, the Bureau of Land Management has conducted an environmental analysis of the oil project, endorsing a scaled-back version of the original operation in order to reduce its ecological footprint. The Washington Post explains that this revised project, known as Willow, would reduce the five drilling sites to three so as to better protect wildlife. Despite these adjustments, Willow is still projected to produce roughly 600 million barrels of oil over the course of 30 years, The New York Times reported. 

Due to the effects of climate change, Alaska is warming “faster than anywhere else in the world,” Alaska program director for Defenders of Wildlife Nicole Whittington-Evans said in a CBC News article. According to an Earthjustice article, this is posing threats to Arctic ecosystems in the form of sea-level rise, sea-ice melt and permafrost thaw. Additionally, the article explains that the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, where the drilling would take place, provides essential wildlife habitat for species such as polar bears, migratory birds and caribou. Critics of Willow, such as Whittington-Evans, argue that its approval will only aid in exacerbating this ecological harm at the “great expense of wildlife and communities.”

Despite this pushback, the president of ConocoPhillips Alaska, Eric S. Isaacson told Smithsonian Magazine that “Willow will benefit local communities and enhance American energy security while producing oil in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.” Alaska’s senators agree with him. According to The New York Times, Republican senator Lisa Murkowski stressed that the project will create “thousands of good union jobs, and immense benefits that will be felt across Alaska and the nation” if it passes. In fact, Alaska’s oil and gas industry contributed $3.1 billion to state and local governments in 2019, helping to pay for services such as public safety and education, The Washington Post detailed. According to the article, this possibility of an economic upswing for Alaska is especially important, as Representative Mary Peltola emphasized Alaska’s recent economic struggles. 

According to the New York Times, while some Alaska Native groups, such as the Alaska Federation of Natives and Alaska Native Village Corporation Association, support Willow and its economic prospects, other nations in the areas nearest to the project remain concerned. For example, Rosemary Ahtuangaruak of the Iñupiat community told The New York Times that “the project encroaches on the habitat of the millions of migratory birds who use the area, as well as whales, polar bears and the more than 80,000 caribou that locals depend on for subsistence fishing and hunting.” If Willow is approved, she said, “her community would be surrounded by oil and gas projects.”

In a CBC News article, Siqiniq Maupin, executive director of Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, highlighted the same concerns, that “Arctic Slope communities have suffered health issues and the loss of traditional practices and food sources because of oil extraction.”

Broader environmental groups in Alaska and nationwide have also chimed in. In a statement on their website, Earthjustice argues that “the Willow Project would permanently scar the largest undeveloped area in the United States and jeopardize the health and traditional practices of nearby Indigenous communities,” and points out that “over 30 years, the project would produce an estimated 590 million barrels of oil — enough to generate approximately 260 million tons of CO2 equivalent once consumed.”

“No other oil and gas project has greater potential to undermine the Biden administration’s climate goals,” Karlin Itchoak, Alaska regional director for The Wilderness Society, argued in a Wilderness Society article. According to The New York Times, Itchoak said, “if this project were to move forward, it would result in the production and burning of at least 30 years of oil at a time when the world needs climate solutions and a transition to clean energy.” 

According to The New York Times, a final decision by the Biden administration is expected to come within the next month, but the divided responses to the project reveal the complexity of the situation.Peltola addressed this conflict between economy and climate in The Washington Post: “[O]f course every person on Earth wants us to be shifting to renewables … But most people also recognize you cannot do that with a snap of the fingers.” However, as the various reactions show, if the project is approved, select Native communities and activists fear the U.S. will only move further away from that future of renewable energy production.

Research study concludes that fish can recognize themselves in photographs

Graphic by Jieru Ye ‘23.

By Lily Benn ’24

Staff Writer

A recent study by animal sociology and biology researchers concluded with the idea that fish may be able to recognize themselves not only in mirrors but in still photographs. This new information may indicate self-awareness in fish, specifically the Bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Science News reported. 

This study is a continuation of research done with the same species of fish in 2019 when researchers first discovered that the Bluestreak cleaner wrasse could recognize itself in the mirror. The corresponding 2019 Science Daily article explains that this was tested by a widely recognized ‘mark’ test that has been studied in many species of animals in the past. The article goes on to explain that this test requires that the subject, when presented with a mirror, be able to notice a mark put on its own body as itself, and not another member of its species. In both 2019 and 2022 mirror studies, researchers injected ink into their scales that resemble what the fish normally recognize as a parasite, Science News reported. Science Daily notes that the test is a challenge for animals such as fish, who do not have limbs that can indicate touch, or have the mobility required to show that they know the mark is on their own body. Instead of pointing to themselves, Science News explained, these wrasse fish indicated they knew it was their own reflection by exhibiting a body scraping behavior.

However, both Science News and Science Daily report that this new information does not necessarily indicate self-awareness in these fish, or in many other animal species tested with the mirror ‘mark’ test. Science News cites Frans de Waal, a primatologist from Emory University of Atlanta who approves of the study, yet explains how the mirror test is not a universally accepted and reliable method of testing animal self-awareness. Science News writes that species known to have strong cognitive abilities such as monkeys and ravens have not passed the mirror test. The article goes on to explain that other species rely less on sight, such as dogs who are stronger in recognition of scent. 

The 2023 study takes this information further, by testing this same species of Bluestreak cleaner wrasse fish’s ability to self-recognize with the ‘mark’ test, this time with photographs of the fish. The paper, titled “Cleaner fish recognize self in a mirror via self-face recognition like humans,” published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, is available to be read by the general public. The article reports that this type of study in self-recognition from images was observed in chimpanzees, and this “mental image of the self-face” is a behavior easily observed in humans. The Bluestreak cleaner wrasses were observed exhibiting the same scraping behavior first observed in the original 2019 study after being shown photographs of themselves with the placebo parasite marking. Science News explains that in this same study, the fish readily attacked pictures of other fish in their same species, but stayed calm when presented with pictures of themselves. 

The research paper concludes with the discussion that their results may be controversial and that there needs to be more research towards self-recognition in different species and taxa of animals. As of now, there are many discrepancies between different animals’ abilities to complete the mirror test, as it was originally designed for primates. Their final conclusion is that there is a strong cognitive ability in fishes, and self-awareness is suspected by the authors to be more common in the animal kingdom than once thought.

World Wetlands Day 2023 calls attention to global wetland loss

Wetland restoration was the theme of World Wetlands Day 2023, as nearly 90 percent of wetlands worldwide have been damaged by human activity. Photo by Emma Quirk ‘26.

By Yuyang Wang ’24

Staff Writer

On Feb. 2, people from all around the world joined to celebrate the twenty-seventh World Wetlands Day. According to the official World Wetlands Day website, the theme of this year’s festival was “wetlands restoration.” This site contains statements from officials representing various institutions, such as the Convention on Wetlands, The International Union for Conservation of Nature and The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997, with the aim to increase people’s awareness of the importance of wetlands and encourage actions to protect them, notes the official website. Compared to other natural ecosystems such as forests and oceans, wetlands are often seen as less familiar and are unappreciated for their ecological value, an article from ClimateXChange said. As a result, World Wetlands Day plays an important role in making knowledge about wetlands more widespread as the ecosystems face extreme degradation, the official website said. 

According to the EPA, wetlands can be categorized as either inland or coastal, as well as seasonal or permanent. Wetlands have many different forms including rivers, marshes, bogs, mangroves, mudflats, ponds, swamps, lagoons, lakes and floodplains. The Nature Conservancy explains that as an ecosystem, wetlands provide habitats for animals such as black-crowned night heron, Hine’s emerald dragonfly and American mink, as well as plants including purple pitcher plant and eastern skunk cabbage. Species living in wetlands play key roles in the world’s water, nitrogen and sulfur cycles. Moreover, current scientific research shows that because of its carbon storage function, wetlands can help ameliorate climate change. 

Statistics from the World Wildlife Fund revealed that “[b]etween 300 million and 400 million people live close to and depend on wetlands.” For humans, wetlands can improve water quality, offer protection from floods and shoreline erosion and offer opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation. However, human effects on wetlands have historically been destructive, the WWF article said. According to National Geographic, overfishing has caused the biodiversity of wetlands to drop dramatically. Additionally, with industry development, factories built near wetlands cause pollution and harm plant and animal species by dumping toxic wastewater into the wetland. 

Wetland conservation programs provide hope for restoring the health of wetlands around the world. For example, mangrove restoration programs have been created in seven biospheres of Latin America and the Caribbean led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. These programs aim to recover mangrove forests by bringing together scientific experts with local communities while creating new economic and educational opportunities. This collaborative method is one of the most effective ways to restore mangrove forests, the UNESCO website reported. 

In addition to direct conservation actions, scientific literature on wetlands also plays an important role in raising people’s awareness. For instance, the book “Sippewissett, or, life on a salt marsh” by Tim Traver recalls the author’s personal experience at Sippewissett, a wetland located in the Northeast. In the book, Traver offers a detailed description of his connections with the wetlands, including his experience of witnessing their deterioration and recovery. 

Although there has been an increase in action surrounding wetlands, people’s awareness and sense of urgency remain insufficient. According to Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, “to date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost. We are losing wetlands three times faster than forests.” Therefore, World Wetlands Day is an opportunity to encourage all relevant players to participate in the wetlands restoration process. “We are mobilizing an entire generation for wetland restoration,” Mumba said. 

Reproduce This! How abortion medication works and where to get it

Abortion pills are sold in retail pharmacies. Photo courtesy of Project Manhattan via Wikimedia Commons.

By Shira Sadeh ’25

Science & Environment Editor 

On Jan. 3, the Food and Drug Administration announced a change in rules that will greatly increase the number of retail pharmacies that dispense abortion medication, AP News reported. According to the AP article, this change is an effort to make abortion more accessible, allowing those seeking abortion medication to receive a consultation via telehealth before picking up the prescription at a local retail pharmacy, provided that the pharmacy undergoes a certification process.

According to Planned Parenthood, abortion medication consists of two pills: mifepristone and misoprostol. The first, mifepristone, prevents the pregnancy from developing further and may cause side effects of nausea or bleeding, although Planned Parenthood states that bleeding is uncommon at this stage of the abortion. The second pill, misoprostol, is taken either immediately after or up to 48 hours following the first pill. This pill empties the uterus and causes heavy bleeding and cramping. “​​It’s normal to see large blood clots (up to the size of a lemon) or clumps of tissue when this is happening. It’s kind of like having a really heavy, crampy period, and the process is very similar to an early miscarriage,” Planned Parenthood explained. The page went on to say that these side effects typically begin one to four hours after taking misoprostol. The bleeding typically lasts four to five hours, and cramping can continue for up to two days. 

According to an article from the Guttmacher Institute, the FDA approved the use of mifepristone for the purpose of non-surgical abortion in 2000. Although it is currently approved to be used up to ten weeks of gestation, it has been used safely to terminate later-stage pregnancies. The article went on to explain that while several states have restrictions on its usage, courts have ruled that banning abortion medication “outright” is unconstitutional. 

The closest Planned Parenthood center that offers abortion services is the Western Massachusetts Health Center in Springfield, MA. As of July 22, Mount Holyoke College Health Services stated that they offer counseling and referrals to students, but are unable to offer abortion medication themselves.

Biden administration may increase access to no cost birth control

Current guidelines allow private insurers to withhold birth control on moral or religious grounds. Photo courtesy of Thought Catalog via Flickr.

By Catelyn Fitzgerald ’23

Science & Environment Editor

On Jan. 30, the United States Department of Health and Human Services along with the Department of Labor and the Treasury proposed an adjustment to birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. This adjustment would increase access for over 125,000 Americans, CNN reported. According to the CNN article, the new rule would alter existing exemptions which allow insurers to refuse to offer birth control for religious or moral reasons. The rule will be opened for public comment over the next few months before being finalized, the article said.

Currently, most Affordable Care Act plans are required to include no-cost birth control coverage, but a rule created in 2018 by the Trump Administration allows private healthcare insurers to cite “religious beliefs” or “moral convictions” to be exempted from providing contraceptives, a press release from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid said. According to the press release, individuals enrolled in a plan that uses the religious or moral exemption can only access contraceptives if their employer or insurer voluntarily grants them an accommodation. 

The new rule proposed by the Biden Administration would eliminate the moral exemption to contraceptive coverage, and create a pathway for individuals to access birth control even if their insurer has a religious exemption, a Reuters article reported. The article explains that the new rule works by allowing any provider to offer free birth control and be reimbursed for the medication by an insurance company. The article went on to say that participating insurance companies receive credits from the government for sponsoring the purchase. 

A senior Health and Human Services official told CNN that the new rule is intended to serve as a compromise between religiously affiliated employers and individuals seeking access to contraceptives. The CNN article highlighted the importance of the new rule in a post Roe v. Wade America, where states are able to limit access to abortions, and went on to emphasize that the extent to which individuals are aware of the new individual pathway will be a key determinant of its success in increasing birth control access.

FDA considers lifting ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men

On Jan. 27, the FDA proposed easing restrictions for blood donations from gay and bisexual men. Photo courtesy of the Manchester City Library via Flickr.

By Sarah Grinnell ’26

Staff Writer

LGBTQ+ activists had reason to celebrate on Friday, Jan. 27, as the Food and Drug Administration initiated a proposal to change long-standing restrictions on gay and bisexual men’s blood donation, Smithsonian reported. According to an NBC News Article, this ban, which was first implemented during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, prohibited any man who had had sex with at least one other man within three months of donation from giving blood.

The current draft of the proposal consists of what the New York Post describes as “gender-inclusive, individual risk-based questions,” which would make qualifications for donation dependent on sexual activity rather than orientation. This would measure the risk of HIV transmission equally against all identities, instead of targeting a single group or gender. As Smithsonian explained, in 1985 the FDA indefinitely banned any man who had sex with another man since 1977 from donating blood. The updated guidelines would mean anyone of any gender who has had only one sexual partner in the past three months is eligible to donate blood. 

According to Smithsonian, the FDA has said if the potential donors have engaged in anal sex, had a new sexual partner, or had more than one sexual partner within the last three months, they would be subject to questioning about their recent sexual activity and instructed to wait another three months before donating. The New York Post reported that these new guidelines are based on sexual practice, meaning that women will be impacted by donor restrictions for the first time. According to the New York Post, those in monogamous relationships will be eligible to donate blood regardless of sexual affiliation or gender. 

According to NBC, bans will remain in effect for people who have tested positive for HIV and take medication to treat it. Additionally, those taking oral medications to prevent infection, such as PrEP, must abide by a three month “deferral period” before they can donate, and those taking injectable PrEP would have to wait two years after their most recent injection before being permitted to give blood, Smithsoniam detailed. PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a pill which prevents HIV from settling into the body before it can spread and is typically taken before sex or under other circumstances where infection could be likely, WebMD says.

The proposed guidelines have developed in part due to the drop-off in the number of blood donations seen at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Smithsonian said. With eased restrictions, the number of donors contributing to the national blood supply could increase significantly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood centers have not had enough blood to last even two days, and one fifth of all blood centers have had a one day supply or less, Smithsonian explained. The new proposal hopes to amend this situation. A report from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that lifts on donor bans for men who have sex with men would increase the annual blood supply by two to four percent.

Tony Morrison, a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD, has commented on this development in an NPR report, saying, “[t]hese changes are 40-plus years in the making, and they’re a tremendous leap forward in elevating science over stigma.” 

However, for some, the guidelines still leave something to be desired — especially where the restrictions around PrEP are concerned. As Jose Abrigo, HIV project director for the advocacy group Lambda Legal points out in an AP News article, “[w]e must be conscious to not further stigmatize these safe sex practices and uplift individuals taking precautions.” Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the nonprofit Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, echoed this statement in a Washington Post article, saying, “keeping the blood supply safe is paramount, but it is also important to move forward so that we are not excluding a group of donors who could be perfectly safe.” 

According to the New York Post, the responses to the proposal have been overwhelmingly positive, with many eagerly anticipating the fruition of FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf’s promise to “use the best science [to maintain] a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products in the U.S.,” while preventing further discrimination against any “gender or sexual orientation.”