Co-authored by Elizabeth Sommers, Governing Councilor of the American Public Health Association. This piece appeared in The Boston Globe.
Photo by Sara C via Flickr
On Friday, a Washington Post report suggested that a directive was issued to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that bars the agency from using seven words and phrases in CDC budget materials and official documents. According to the report, the censored terminology includes “fetus,” “transgender,” “diversity,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based.” In a somewhat Orwellian twist, the CDC has apparently been told that an acceptable option for describing evidence or science-based information could read as follows: “The CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.” It may be worth remembering that, at times in world history, community standards and wishes shared the consensus that the earth was flat.
Read full article at Thrive Global.