#Datapolicy

The United States is currently examining its federally funded human data repositories in response to an executive order that reevaluates the inclusion of gender identity descriptors. As reported by The Transmitter, the initiative aims to align with Executive Order 14168, signed by President Trump in January, which mandates the exclusion of gender identity considerations inconsistent with an individual’s sex assigned at birth. This development raises questions about the future scope of research involving gender and health, affecting both U.S. data policies and potentially influencing global research paradigms, including in countries like Thailand.

A policy review underway in the United States is reexamining federally funded human data repositories to determine whether gender identity descriptors should be included. The initiative aligns with an executive order to ensure data about individuals reflects their sex assigned at birth when appropriate. The move could shape research on gender and health and may influence data practices in other countries, including Thailand.

Experts caution that removing gender identity details from datasets could affect studies that seek to understand health disparities among transgender and gender-nonconforming people. A former director of the National Institute of Mental Health has warned that excluding these data points might hinder research aimed at supporting populations at higher risk of mental health challenges and suicide.