The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been ordered to withdraw all research papers under review by scientific journals for review by the Trump administration. The move, aimed at aligning language with new federal policies, has raised concerns over scientific integrity and cen
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been instructed to withdraw all research papers currently under review by external scientific journals, a federal official told Reuters.
The directive, issued by CDC Chief Science Officer in an internal email on Friday, requires all division heads to halt publications to allow for a policy review by the Trump administration. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the review is aimed at removing specific language to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order, which defines sex as strictly male or female.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not responded to requests for comment.
The withdrawal order follows a Jan. 21 directive that paused public communications from federal health agencies. Reports from Inside Medicine indicate that CDC officials have been instructed to remove specific terms from their research, including:
Gender
Transgender
LGBT
Nonbinary
The new policy affects all CDC-authored research, even when co-written with external scientists. In such cases, CDC researchers are required to remove their names from manuscripts before submission.
Public health experts and journal editors have criticized the move, warning that removing certain terms could compromise medical research, particularly in fields related to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and public health data.
"We can't just erase or ignore certain populations when it comes to preventing, treating, or researching infectious diseases such as HIV," said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+ Hepatitis Policy Institute.
Scientific journals have also raised legal concerns, questioning whether the government can dictate language used in research. Dr. Alfredo Morabia, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Public Health, stated:
"For accepted papers, we own the copyright. The government cannot force changes."
Other journal editors, including Dr. Carlos Del Rio of NEJM Journal Watch Infectious Diseases, called the decision a "travesty", warning that it could undermine public health efforts.
On Friday, CDC and other federal health agencies took down web pages related to:
HIV statistics
Health risk behaviors among youth
Diversity and gender identity research
The decision has alarmed physicians, researchers, and patient advocacy groups, who warn that restricting public access to health data could impede medical research and patient care.
With scientists and journal editors pushing back, the move raises constitutional questions over government control of language in public health research.
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