CDC takes down more than a dozen webpages on sexual and gender identity, health equity
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CDC takes down more than a dozen webpages on sexual and gender identity, health equity
The CDC received a directive from the Health and Human Services Department to remove certain webpages by the end of the day Sept. 19. The pages include one about sexually transmitted infections and gay men, another about healthy equity for people with disabilities. Some health equity advocates say removing such resources could create gaps in access to critical health information. The topics of some of the resources taken down are longtime targets of the Trump administration.
More than a dozen pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website related to sexual and gender identity, health equity, and other topics have been taken down, CNBC has learned.
The CDC received a directive from the Health and Human Services Department, which oversees the agency, to remove certain webpages by the end of the day Sept. 19, according to an internal CDC email viewed by CNBC, which was sent that day to some employees whose work is related to the pages.
The pages include one about sexually transmitted infections and gay men, another about healthy equity for people with disabilities, and additional fact sheets on asexuality and bisexuality. Some health equity advocates say removing such resources could create gaps in access to critical health information, especially for marginalized groups, and undermine efforts to promote equitable care.
The removal of “critical materials from trusted government resources endangers the health of patients and the public,” a spokesperson for the LBGT PA Caucus, a nonprofit promoting LGBTQ+ health-care equity, said in a statement.
“Stripping away resources on gender identity does not erase the need, it only erodes trust, creates confusion, and places patients at greater risk,” the spokesperson said. “Clinicians and the communities they serve rely on accessible, accurate, and inclusive guidance to deliver safe and effective care.”
The email did not provide details on why HHS directed the CDC to remove the pages or why it targeted certain topics. But the topics of some of the resources taken down are longtime targets of the Trump administration, which has issued a series of executive actions that limit transgender and nonbinary people’s rights and rolled back efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion.
HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The CDC directed CNBC to HHS for comment.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/26/cdc-webpages-on-sexual-gender-identity-health-equity-removed.html