A federal court ruling on Tuesday mandated that several U.S. health agencies must reinstate websites that were taken down following executive directives from former President Donald Trump, with the judge citing concerns about harm to disadvantaged Americans seeking medical care.
U.S. District Judge John Bates issued the order requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to restore multiple removed web resources by Tuesday midnight. The pages, which included information about clinical trial diversity and sex-based medical research, have since been reinstated.
The lawsuit was initiated by Doctors for America on February 4 in Washington D.C.’s federal district court. It highlighted the removal of FDA pages containing diversity action plans for clinical trials and guidance on sex-specific considerations in medical product evaluation. The CDC also saw the removal of critical health resources, including information about HIV testing, healthcare provider guidance on contraception, and the social vulnerability index used for emergency response planning.
The website removals were triggered by a January 29 Office of Personnel Management memo, which required agency heads to eliminate programs promoting “gender ideology” and remove related public-facing content by January 31. This directive stemmed from a January 20 executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandated the use of “sex” rather than “gender” in federal
documentation.
Bates emphasized in his ruling that the removal of these resources particularly impacts vulnerable populations seeking healthcare, noting that limited access to medical information could result in some individuals missing treatment for potentially life-threatening conditions.
The court order also established a temporary restraining order preventing the health agencies from further removing or significantly altering other web content in response to the OPM memo. The agencies must collaborate with Doctors for America to identify and restore any additional removed or modified resources by February 14.
Public Citizen attorney Zach Shelley, representing the plaintiffs, praised the ruling for protecting access to vital health information for medical professionals and researchers. The FDA did not provide immediate comment, while HHS declined to respond.
Among the removed content were several significant FDA resources, including annual reports from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, strategic priorities documentation, guidance on sex-specific medical device clinical studies, and information about clinical trial diversity and LGBTQIA+ participation in trials. The agency also removed multiple YouTube videos covering topics such as sickle cell disease in women, COVID-19 vaccines, polycystic ovary syndrome, and women’s participation in cardiovascular disease trials.
Doctors for America argued in their complaint that removing these resources hampers researchers’ ability to effectively treat patients, design comprehensive clinical studies, and develop policies protecting vulnerable populations and public health. The organization emphasized that access to this information is crucial for ensuring medical treatments’ effectiveness across different populations and maintaining robust public health practices.
The ruling represents a significant setback to the implementation of the executive order’s directives and underscores the importance of maintaining public access to comprehensive health information. The court’s decision prioritizes public health needs over political directives, ensuring that healthcare providers and researchers retain access to vital medical resources and guidance.