Seven Deadly Sins Resulting From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Seven Forbidden Words
Authors: Kenneth G. Castro, Dabney P. Evans, Carlos Del Rio, James W. Curran
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Ideas and Opinions3 April 2018Seven Deadly Sins Resulting From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Seven Forbidden WordsKenneth G. Castro, MD, Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH, Carlos Del Rio, MD, and James W. Curran, MD, MPHKenneth G. Castro, MDEmory University, Atlanta, Georgia (K.G.C., D.P.E., C.D., J.W.C.), Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPHEmory University, Atlanta, Georgia (K.G.C., D.P.E., C.D., J.W.C.), Carlos Del Rio, MDEmory University, Atlanta, Georgia (K.G.C., D.P.E., C.D., J.W.C.), and James W. Curran, MD, MPHEmory University, Atlanta, Georgia (K.G.C., D.P.E., C.D., J.W.C.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M17-3410 Annals Author Insight Video - Kenneth G. Castro, MD, and Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH In this video, Kenneth G. Castro, MD, and Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH, offer additional insight into the article, "Seven Deadly Sins Resulting From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Seven Forbidden Words." SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail On 15 December 2017, The Washington Post reported on 7 words to be avoided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in official budget documents (1). The forbidden words are "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based," and "science-based." Although the source of the prohibition is uncertain, this censorship, if real, carries the risk of jeopardizing the work of U.S. government–funded health care practitioners and professional organizations.The CDC is the nation's leading public health agency and is trusted by health care practitioners and others as a source of credible information about population health and disease morbidity trends, outbreak ...References1. Sun LH, Eilperin J. CDC gets list of forbidden words: fetus, transgender, diversity. The Washington Post. 15 December 2017. Accessed at www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html?utm_term=.89cad0216b48 on 20 December 2017. Google Scholar2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mission, Role and Pledge. Updated 14 April 2014. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm on 20 December 2017. Google Scholar3. Pub. L. No. 111-274, 124 Stat. 2861 (2010). Google Scholar4. Santelli JS, Speizer IS, Edelstein ZR. Abstinence promotion under PEPFAR: the shifting focus of HIV prevention for youth. Glob Public Health. 2013;8:1-12. [PMID: 23327516] doi:10.1080/17441692.2012.759609 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Baral SD, Poteat T, Strömdahl S, Wirtz AL, Guadamuz TE, Beyrer C. Worldwide burden of HIV in transgender women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2013;13:214-22. [PMID: 23260128] doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(12)70315-8 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Rasmussen SA, Jamieson DJ, Honein MA, Petersen LR. Zika virus and birth defects—reviewing the evidence for causality. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1981-7. [PMID: 27074377] doi:10.1056/NEJMsr1604338 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Oduyebo T, Polen KD, Walke HT, Reagan-Steiner S, Lathrop E, Rabe IB, et al. Update: interim guidance for health care providers caring for pregnant women with possible Zika virus exposure—United States (including U.S. territories), July 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:781-93. [PMID: 28749921] doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6629e1 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. FY 2018 Budget & Performance. Updated 22 June 2017. Accessed at www.hhs.gov/about/budget/index.html on 20 December 2017. Google Scholar9. Abara WE, Qaseem A, Schillie S, McMahon BJ, Harris AM; High Value Care Task Force of the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis B vaccination, screening, and linkage to care: best practice advice from the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167:794-804. [PMID: 29159414]. doi:10.7326/M17-1106 LinkGoogle Scholar10. Institute of Medicine (US) Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine. Leadership Commitments to Improve Value in Healthcare: Finding Common Ground: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2009. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (K.G.C., D.P.E., C.D., J.W.C.)Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M17-3410.Corresponding Author: Kenneth G. Castro, MD, Professor, Hubert Department of Global Health and Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, CNR Room 6013, Atlanta, GA 30322.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Castro: Professor, Hubert Department of Global Health and Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, CNR Room 6013, Atlanta, GA 30322.Dr. Evans: Hubert Department of Global Health and Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop 1518-002-7BB, Atlanta, GA 30322.Dr. Del Rio: Departments of Global Health and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, Room 7011, Atlanta, GA 30322.Dr. Curran: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, CNR 8020, Atlanta, GA 30322.Author Contributions: Conception and design: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans, C. Del Rio, J.W. Curran.Analysis and interpretation of the data: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans.Drafting of the article: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans, C. Del Rio, J.W. Curran.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans.Final approval of the article: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans, C. Del Rio, J.W. Curran.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: K.G. Castro, C. Del Rio.Collection and assembly of data: K.G. Castro, D.P. Evans.This article was published at Annals.org on 9 January 2018. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Annals Author Insight Video - Kenneth G. Castro, MD, and Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH In this video, Kenneth G. Castro, MD, and Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH, offer additional insight into the article, "Seven Deadly Sins Resulting From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Seven Forbidden Words." FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byCuriouser and Curiouser 3 April 2018Volume 168, Issue 7Page: 513-514KeywordsFetusesGlobal healthHIVHIV infectionsHealth careHealth information technologyHepatitisInfectious disease epidemiologyInfectious diseasesPrevention, policy, and public health ePublished: 9 January 2018 Issue Published: 3 April 2018 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2018 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...