Planned Parenthood blasted the Trump administration on Saturday after senior officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedly distributed a list of “forbidden” words and phrases that includes terms like “fetus” and “evidence-based.”
In a statement, Dana Singiser, the group’s vice president of public policy and government relations, called the move “unimaginably dangerous” and “reckless,” saying that it would hinder the agency’s ability to address public health matters.
“It is unimaginably dangerous to forbid the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from speaking about things essential to Americans’ health,” she said. “This edict doesn’t just mean a change in vocabulary. It means the Trump-Pence administration is trying to make a radical change in the focus of the entire agency.”
{mosads}
The Washington Post reported Friday that the list of words and phrases was distributed to policy analysts at the CDC and bars them from using such terms in official documents being prepared for the 2019 budget.
According to the Post, analysts have been instructed to use the phrase, “CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes,” instead of terms like “evidence-based” or “science-based.”
Among the other words included on the list are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity” and “transgender.”
“You cannot fight against the Zika virus, or improve women’s and fetal health, if you are unable to use the word ‘fetus.’ You must be able to talk about science and evidence if you are to research cures for infectious diseases such as Ebola,” Singiser said. “You must be able to acknowledge the humanity of transgender people in order to address their health care needs. You cannot erase health inequities faced by people of color simply by forbidding the use of the words ‘vulnerable’ or ‘diversity.’ “
“This move is reckless, and will put millions of lives in danger,” she added. “The Trump-Pence administration should be ashamed, and must end this dictate immediately.”