CDC has removed its Transgender guidance page from its website

In response to a recent executive order from President Donald Trump, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed several webpages related to transgender health and gender identity. This action aligns with the administration’s directive to recognise only two sexes, ”male and female”, and to eliminate content promoting “gender ideology.” 

The Office of Personnel Management issued a memo on January 29, 2025, instructing federal agencies to terminate programs and turn off websites that “inculcate or promote gender ideology” by 5 p.m. on January 31. In compliance, the CDC has taken down over 1,000 pages, including those containing information on HIV among transgender individuals, health disparities among LGBTQ+ youth, and data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

The removal of these resources has raised concerns among health professionals and researchers. Colleen Kelley, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, and Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, expressed that the elimination of HIV- and LGBTQ-related resources creates a “dangerous gap in scientific information and data to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.” 

Additionally, internal dissent has emerged within federal agencies. At the National Institutes of Health, a senior employee urged agency leaders to resist implementing the administration’s guidance, arguing that it contradicts years of NIH research on sexuality and gender. 

The CDC has not yet provided public comment on removing these web pages.