What You Need to Know About CDC Banned Words
The Washington Post reported Friday that CDC officials ordered staff to exclude seven terms from budget documents: fruit, diversity, transgender, vulnerability, rights, evidence-based, and evidence-based. For most scientists these words are obvious, but for politicians they are political.
The CDC director explained that there is no general “ban” on these words , but did not deny that they were excluded from budget documents. An anonymous health and human services spokesman told STAT that they chose not to use those words because the CDC believes their budget documents stand a better chance without them.
Here’s what these words mean, and some speculations as to why they are now political outcasts:
Fetus: What is in a pregnant woman’s womb is medically considered a fetus (or, at a young age, an embryo), but Republican legislators often prefer terms such as “unborn child” when trying to argue that abortion should be illegal or that the fetus should be able to open bank accounts .
Diversity : Our country is inhabited by people of all races and other demographic groups, and the CDC website contains statements about why diversity is important to staffing and why we should pay attention to diversity when we study public health . It may no longer be acceptable to talk about all Americans having access to health care, even though people from minority groups are in poorer health and have a harder time finding good health care.
Vulnerable : Some groups of people are more vulnerable than others to health problems or risks associated with things like natural disasters. The CDC describes vulnerable populations in emergencies as people who have communication problems, who cannot get around without assistance, or who need constant monitoring. These can be elderly people or people with disabilities. The CDC also recognizes populations that are particularly vulnerable to things like infectious diseases or diabetes . I don’t understand why this word would be banned, unless it relates to inequalities in health care. Earlier this year, Trump’s political priorities were often condemned for making more people vulnerable to certain risks of disease.
Transgender: If your gender identity is different from the gender you assigned at birth, you are transgender . Transgender people may have additional problems accessing health care and finding providers who can provide good care (for example, recognizing that a transgender man may still need to be screened for cervical cancer). The CDC has resources for transgender people and their service providers . Some of the Trump administration’s policies interfere with or threaten to protect the health of transgender people.
Eligibility : Government programs are called entitlements when they provide assistance to anyone who qualifies . Currently, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, many FDA programs, and social security programs like SNAP operate as entitlements. These programs were at the turn of the debate on health bills and now on taxes.
Evidence-Based and Evidence-Based : These terms refer to policymakers drawn from rigorous research and reliable data sources. For example, in Colorado, free IUDs have been provided, and the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions has dropped dramatically . They also saved millions of dollars. Other evidence-based sex education programs for adolescent pregnancy are also showing significant results . But politically, some religious groups want to censor sex education. The CDC reportedly told its analysts that instead of using these phrases, they should say, “The CDC bases its recommendations on scientific evidence, taking into account the standards and wishes of the community.”
It would be good if science remained outside of politics. But since this is not possible, it would be very, very good if politics remained outside of science.