Guttmacher explains the CDC’s critical role in collecting reproductive health data that shapes policies and programs, warning that a director opposed to reproductive rights could misuse this power to restrict care and weaponize surveillance.
Why the next CDC director must prioritize facts
Transcript: Did you know the CDC plays a major role in reproductive health?
The CDC is about more than tracking diseases. It also collects and analyzes data on reproductive health care issues like pregnancy outcomes, abortion, birth control, STIs and adolescent health.
This data informs policies and programs that help advance public health. That's right, and all that information is used to direct funding, develop public health strategies and even shape educational efforts. The CDC also has a huge influence on things like family planning, sex education and access to reproductive care.
But what if the Director of the CDC doesn't support reproductive rights? It could be disastrous. If the CDC director opposes reproductive rights, they could misuse that data to weaponize surveillance of pregnancy outcomes, restrict access to birth control and undermine efforts to prevent STIs. We already know this because it was outlined in Project 2025.
That's why it's so important to understand the CDC's power and influence and why it's important to have a director who believes in science, evidence and protecting our reproductive rights.
To learn more about how federal agencies like the CDC impact reproductive health, visit guttmacher.org or check out the link in our bio. And share this video to help spread the word. The more we all know, the more we can work together to protect our rights.