Several United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites and datasets, particularly those related to HIV, LGBTQ people, and youth health behaviors, were removed following directives to comply with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
These orders call for the elimination of federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and a recognition of only two sexes: male and female.
A memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on January 29 instructed agency heads to remove any “outward-facing media” that promotes or incorporates gender ideology by 5 p.m. on Friday.
The CDC was among the agencies directed to follow these guidelines.
According to a senior health official, the removal of these resources was necessary to comply, though they acknowledged the process would take time, meaning significant portions of scientific data would be unavailable for an unspecified period.
“In the process, large swaths of data and science will be unavailable for an undetermined period,” the senior health 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, because what’s next?”
By Friday afternoon, multiple pages related to HIV, including the CDC’s HIV index, testing resources, surveillance reports, and causes, were offline.
A number of CDC pages focused on LGBTQ youth were also removed, including those addressing the risk of suicide among LGBT children, efforts to create safe schools for LGBTQ students, and health disparities affecting this group.
Additionally, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System page, a survey tracking health behaviors among U.S. high school students, displayed an error message saying, “The page you’re looking for was not found.”
Also taken down was the “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People” page, as well as AtlasPlus, an interactive tool that allows users to analyze CDC data on HIV, STDs, TB, and viral hepatitis, and the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, which aids researchers and policymakers in identifying communities vulnerable to the impacts of disasters and public health crises.
Last week, the Trump administration instructed federal health agencies, including the CDC, to halt external communications through February 1.
A CDC spokesperson referred questions about the changes to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
An HHS spokesperson stated in an email that all website modifications were in line with President Trump’s Executive Orders, including those focusing on gender ideology and DEI programs.
The decision has raised concern within the medical community. Leaders of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association expressed their alarm, emphasizing that access to CDC information is crucial for healthcare providers. Dr. Tina Tan, president of the IDSA, and Dr. Colleen Kelley, chair of the HIVMA, stated that the removal of HIV- and LGBTQ-related resources creates a significant gap in scientific knowledge, which could hinder the response to disease outbreaks.
As these pages began disappearing, scholars and activists on social media encouraged people to archive the missing CDC data.
In a letter to Acting HHS Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink and Acting CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez, the Association of Health Care Journalists called for the immediate restoration of the sites.
The leaders of the association highlighted the importance of the missing datasets, noting that they provide essential information on topics such as smoking, vaping, drinking, eating, exercise, and sexual behaviour.
