In a recent move, U.S. health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), began removing crucial data on HIV and other health statistics related to LGBTQ+ communities. This action follows an executive order by President Donald Trump mandating that federal agencies eliminate references to gender identity and align health data strictly with biological sex.
The removal has raised alarm among health professionals and advocates, particularly concerning the loss of vital data on HIV trends among transgender people and health disparities affecting gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. The CDC has taken down several webpages, including information about HIV testing and data about disease patterns among Hispanic, Latino, and African American populations.
This move has sparked debate, with many experts arguing that removing these resources creates a significant gap in public health knowledge, hindering efforts to combat health disparities and monitor disease outbreaks effectively. The deletion of youth health behavior data is also concerning, as it tracks critical risks like unsafe sexual behavior and teen pregnancy.
As federal agencies comply with the January 29 guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management, experts fear that the changes will not only limit access to essential HIV education but also disregard the contributions of transgender and intersex individuals to the scientific community.
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