ORLANDO, Fla. – Several federal health agencies are facing lawsuits over the removal of crucial health data from their websites. This action follows an executive order signed by President Trump, prompting changes to existing guidelines.
Dr. Nateya Carrington, an OB-GYN practicing in Orlando, has expressed her concerns about the impact of these changes. “
I’ve been practicing for 15 years, and I am sure the website has been updated multiple times over 15 years, but it’s never been where everything that we use has been taken off completely,” she stated.
Carrington, who operates at Radiance Women’s Center near downtown Orlando, relies heavily on the CDC website for public health information, including sexually transmitted disease statistics and vaccination guidelines. However, these resources have been removed under the direction of President Trump.
“If I’m not getting the information as your physician, in an efficient manner, I can’t treat you appropriately or treat you as effectively as I would have been able to,” Dr. Carrington explained.
The CDC website, accessible to both doctors and the general public, now displays a notice indicating modifications to comply with Trump’s executive orders.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America has voiced its concerns, stating, “The removal of HIV- and LGBTQ-related resources from the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies is deeply concerning and creates a dangerous gap in scientific information and data to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks.”
Dr. Carrington hopes this is merely a transitional phase and that the website will soon regain its previous credibility.
“If we as physicians are not able to adequately treat you or make sure that you are staying healthy in the general population, that’s going to affect everybody,” she warned.
In response to these changes, Doctors for America, a health care advocacy group that stresses affordable health care, Medicaid expansion and reproductive rights, is suing several federal agencies for the removal of health information from their websites. This is not the only area undergoing changes; dozens of websites are being revamped, including those related to climate change and the U.S. Census Bureau.
There is no word yet on when the website will be fully updated.
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