0
0
February 4, 2025
In a controversial move, several health-related websites and datasets from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been taken down following executive orders from the Trump administration. The orders demand that federal agencies eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and recognize only two biological sexes—male and female.
A memo issued on January 29 by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to remove “all outward facing media (websites, social media accounts, etc.) that inculcate or promote gender ideology” by January 31. The CDC, under these directives, has already removed several critical health resources.
As of February 2, affected CDC resources include:
- HIV-related data, including testing information, national surveillance reports, and datasets.
- Resources focused on LGBTQ youth health, including information on suicide risks, safe schools, and health disparities.
- The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), which tracks U.S. high school students’ health behaviors.
- A food safety page designed for pregnant individuals titled “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People.”
- AtlasPlus, a tool that provides in-depth data on HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis.
- The Social Vulnerability Index, a tool for identifying communities at risk during disasters and public health emergencies.
Health experts are expressing concern over the removal of these vital resources. Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Dr. Colleen Kelley, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, called the decision deeply troubling, emphasizing that it creates a dangerous gap in scientific data necessary for disease monitoring and response.
The decision to pull these resources is seen as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to align federal health messaging with a more traditional, binary view of gender and public health. CDC staff have reportedly been warned that noncompliance with the executive orders could result in significant consequences.
A senior health official within the CDC, who spoke anonymously to CNN, warned of the dangers posed by this purge. “In the process, large swaths of data and science will be unavailable for an undetermined period,” the official said. “Regardless of your comfort with the idea of trans people, you should be terrified that the government is purging truth and science to fit an ideology.”
The Association of Health Care Journalists has sent a formal letter to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Dorothy Fink and Acting CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez, urging the restoration of the sites. The association emphasized that the missing data is crucial for informing the public on a range of health issues, from smoking and alcohol use to sexual behavior and exercise.
The removal of these resources has raised alarm bells among public health professionals and activists, many of whom are calling for immediate action to reinstate the information. Others are already archiving the data in an attempt to preserve critical health insights that could otherwise disappear in the wake of these sweeping changes.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on reports from various sources, including CNN and statements from public health professionals. The content reflects ongoing debates surrounding the removal of CDC resources and does not necessarily reflect the views of the writer or all public health experts.
