Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were instructed to avoid using words such as “woman,” “disabled,” and “elderly” in external communications, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The directive, part of a broader list of restricted terms, was reportedly issued in response to a White House executive order. However, a spokesperson for the administration said the directive misinterpreted President Donald Trump’s policy.
A document titled “Prohibited Words” has been circulating among FDA employees since at least last week, sources said. Two scientists with direct knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity due to concerns over professional repercussions, confirmed the existence of the list.
The directive has sparked confusion within the FDA, an agency already facing upheaval amid sweeping personnel changes under the Trump administration. The two sources said they were unaware of who issued the ban or the reasoning behind the inclusion of over two dozen words.
“I don’t understand why we can’t use a word like ‘woman,’” one FDA scientist told Reuters. “These restrictions make it nearly impossible to do our jobs.”
In recent weeks, another federal health agency was also instructed to remove terms such as “gender,” “transgender,” “LGBT” (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender), and “nonbinary” from its communications. The changes align with executive orders recognizing only male and female sexes and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
As part of the policy shift, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed publicly available health data, including HIV-related statistics, and pulled research papers under review for publication in scientific journals. The changes were reportedly ordered for review by Trump administration appointees.
Public health experts have expressed concern that eliminating such terms could hinder efforts to address diverse medical needs, particularly for populations affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
A broader list of restricted words circulating within the FDA, reviewed by Reuters, includes terms such as “underrepresented,” “underserved,” “understudied,” “sex,” “identity,” “diverse,” “promote,” “continuum,” “ideology,” “self-assessed,” “special populations,” “elderly,” and “disabled.” The list was reportedly distributed without explanation.
A White House spokesperson told Reuters that most of the terms listed by the FDA did not need to be removed. The spokesperson suggested that FDA officials may have misinterpreted an executive order aimed at limiting “gender ideology” in federal health policies. However, the spokesperson confirmed that certain words—such as “gender,” “inclusion,” “identity,” “diversity,” “transgender,” and “equity”—must be excluded to comply with the administration’s policies.
An FDA spokesperson denied that the agency has an official list of banned words and declined to comment on whether the White House’s restrictions apply.
The two FDA sources said the directive appeared to have originated within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, a division of more than 2,000 employees responsible for regulating medical devices. They warned that restrictions on language, combined with recent staff dismissals, could slow the approval process for medical devices and impede scientists from raising safety concerns before products reach the market.
The White House confirmed that more than 1,000 FDA employees have been dismissed across multiple divisions, out of nearly 20,000 agency staff members. The layoffs are part of broader federal workforce reductions led by the Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by Elon Musk.
The directive and mass firings have raised concerns among public health officials and researchers about the future of federal health agencies under the administration’s policies.
