Feb. 11, 2025 — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the restoration of webpages and content from government health sites that had recently been taken down in response to President Trump’s executive order on gender.
Agencies with affected pages include the CDC, FDA, and Department of Health and Human Services. The content from those pages spanned topics such as HIV monitoring, youth health risks, diversifying participants in clinical trials, and assisted reproductive technology.
The order by U.S. District Judge John Bates for the restoration of the content comes as part of a temporary restraining order in response to claims by the group Doctors for America that its members use the websites in connection with patient treatment and when conducting research.
The order calls for the Jan. 30 versions of the webpages and data to be restored by the end of day Tuesday.
In a 21-page opinion, the judge wrote that the agencies’ removal of the information is potentially harmful, noting “… it bears emphasizing who ultimately bears the harm of defendants’ actions: everyday Americans, and most acutely, underprivileged Americans, seeking healthcare. These individuals rely on the care of doctors. ... If those doctors cannot provide these individuals the care they need (and deserve) within the scheduled and often limited time frame, there is a chance that some individuals will not receive treatment, including for severe, life-threatening conditions. The public thus has a strong interest in avoiding these serious injuries to the public health.”
The judge ordered both sides in the case to submit a joint status report on the matter to the court by Thursday, including a proposed schedule for further proceedings in the case.
