Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Health Data Alterations Raise Concerns Over Public Research

7/16/2025

37 4

Summary

Story summary

A shocking study in The Lancet uncovers that more than 100 U.S. government health datasets were quietly modified this spring, with nearly half experiencing wording changes, notably replacing "gender" with "sex." Researchers caution that these alterations could jeopardize public health research and call for greater transparency and version tracking within federal agencies.

1 of 1

Story summary

A shocking study in The Lancet uncovers that more than 100 U.S. government health datasets were quietly modified this spring, with nearly half experiencing wording changes, notably replacing "gender" with "sex." Researchers caution that these alterations could jeopardize public health research and call for greater transparency and version tracking within federal agencies.