Experts Explore What A Trump Presidency May Mean For Your Health

Americans are bracing themselves for another Donald Trump presidency. His policies and leadership could impact all aspects of life, with consequences reaching all parts of life; no one knows exactly what will unfold, so many are fearful for themselves and their health. “During his last term of office, Trump botched pandemic response efforts, spread misinformation widely, restricted reproductive healthcare access and tried to repeal [the Affordable Care Act]. Additionally, climate action took a back step due to this administration,” according to Lucky Tran, an expert science communicator based out of New York. “For me, it is deeply concerning that someone with such an unfavorable track record in regards to health and science should lead the US administration. Additionally, Donald Trump recently indicated his plans to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr – an anti-vaccine supporter -in charge of many aspects of healthcare.” This election saw abortion protection measures appear on ballots in 10 states; of these states, seven voted in support of them and are now part of 21 state bans or restrictions according to The New York Times. “What we have witnessed so far confirms what was expected, that is patients are suffering and dying due to these bans,” Shah noted. “Abortion has become highly politicized, yet now all of a sudden we’re being told by President-elect Trump that his policies will protect women’s rights – but honestly I find it hard to believe.” Health coverageImpending cuts to government healthcare programs could put millions of people who depend on them at risk of losing access to care – experts remain concerned over this prospect. “With any authority RFK has, I anticipate new vaccine approval will become harder, while increased scrutiny on current vaccine safety will intensify”, stated Sara Gorman of Critica (an organization fighting science misinformation) and author of “The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America. “”I don’t expect they’ll be able to remove current vaccines from the market completely… There was some discussion of dropping some or all vaccines from schedule.”” Gorman believes a Trump victory makes such an outcome less likely, although additional hurdles would need to be crossed before any plans could go forward. Equity in health care Young-Mercado said she is concerned by Project 2025 – conservatives’ far-right policy plan put forth after election that calls for increased spending for programs promoting equity within health care as a priority issue – that may defund programs focused on race. “Let’s discuss multiple studies showing that Black people receive less radiation therapy for cancer treatment, less money spent on them in health care and less referrals for transplants than White people do,” Gates-Carlisle noted. Young-Mercado asserted that Project 2025 used an inaccurate definition of diversity, equity and inclusion to cut funding to programs designed to alleviate disparate treatment. “Essentially it means opening doors so those who have been discriminated against or excluded and who previously haven’t had access can now gain entry,” Young-Mercado explained. “We urge you to ensure that those requiring organ transplants based on race or other forms of discrimination (whether racism, sexism or any other ‘ism) will receive those organs without further discrimination based on any discriminatory practice based on these or any other grounds.” IVFIVF fertility services have come under increased attack in parts of the U.S. and experts worry this trend could worsen under President-elect Trump. Politico recently reported that one third of U.S. states currently enacted “fetal personhood” laws – statutes which grant unborn fetuses rights equal to humans – which restrict research integrity while criminalizing critical aspects of IVF treatments, making the procedure inaccessible, according to Dr. Stacy De-Lin, associate medical director for Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in an email correspondence with HuffPost. Due to these laws and litigation surrounding them, fertility clinics have even temporarily suspended treatment – further disrupting processes vital to patients that require immediate action on their part in timeframe. LGBTQ+ Health Care”Our patients and our community are devastated and panicked – with every reason to be,” according to Dr. Kaiyti Duffy of Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Chief Medical Officer Kaiyti Duffy said that President-Elect Trump’s campaign rhetoric particularly targeted transgender individuals as an obstacle. Duffy noted this factor. “Rhetoric has done tremendous harm to a group who are already vulnerable… Now we face an administration which identifies itself as being anti-trans,” she explained. Although we still do not know for certain what will come of gender affirming care under Donald Trump, he made several attacks against Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign for supporting providing health services to imprisoned trans people. Project 2025 details a range of threats against trans people’s health care coverage and access, such as eliminating gender-affirming treatments from veteran health insurance coverage and criminalizing them for minors. “Many states across the nation have passed legislation restricting hormones, and I fear this trend could spread nationwide,” Duffy warned. Many Americans who don’t identify with being transgender might not understand that gender affirming care can be medically necessary and lifesaving; “These individuals are fighting hard for access to care that allows them to express themselves fully. Denying such care puts lives and safety in jeopardy.” Climate change threatens mental health,” Jasmin Merdan from Getty Images noted, noting the health consequences linked to global warming as an additional burden of change affecting global temperatures and production of fossil fuels during his second term in office. Trump plans on increasing production over this coming four-year term – something we must all fight. Project 2025 threatens the Environmental Protection Agency and environmental justice. Such developments could make climate change worse, impacting not just weather patterns but also human health in multiple ways, according to Tran. As our planet warms, ticks and mosquitoes become more widespread, increasing Americans’ susceptibility to infections like Lyme disease, Eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus and heat stroke – with heat stroke becoming an additional risk as temperatures heat up further, according to Mohanty. “Fossil fuel use itself is one of the primary contributors to early death globally, leading to seven million premature deaths a year,” according to Tran. If a Trump administration rolls back pollution regulations that could have “consequences for respiratory health.” Climate change increases natural disaster frequency; more wildfire smoke means greater respiratory diseases risk according to Tran. Harsh storms can create flooding and water quality issues as well as pose threats of death to many in their path. Concerns About Health Agencies”I’m extremely anxious for our public health agencies under another Trump presidency due to two sources – one from RFK Jr’s desire for their powers to be limited and two from Project 2025 detailing plans to dismantle public health science environmental agencies,” Tran lamented. Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency could all undergo changes. Gorman voiced concern over plans to divide up the CDC into two parts, one dedicated to infectious disease control and another dedicated to chronic condition management. “[This proposal] makes no scientific sense at all,” she stated. “But, more significantly, what such action would achieve is weakening of the [CDC] as an all-inclusive public health institution – something which I find deeply concerning.” “These changes could undermine important services like the Centers for Disease Control’s disease detection system or EPA’s enforcement of environmental rules. Tran noted that “restricting [EPA’s] regulatory powers would lead to lessened health for us all, while issues at FDA could put food safety in jeopardy.” What can you do in response? Turning off news sources or silencer phones might temporarily reduce stress after election day results come out, however Gorman advised against doing this when changes start taking effect in society. “Don’t give up. Stay the course.” “People seem to want to avoid social media in light of all this; some want to leave so as not to see any discussions; however, as more and more do this it means less chance we have of fighting back,” Gorman stated. If you remain unaware, however, no idea will exist as to what measures can or need be taken in order to safeguard oneself, their families, and community from further attacks. “We still have agency,” Tran said, and there are various things each one of us can do as individuals to safeguard the wellbeing of our communities. Although federal policies remain stagnant, important health policies still occur at a state and local level… which allows us to use many tools, like protests, mutual aid, community care services, local legislation or litigation,” Tran said. We Need Your SupportOther news outlets have hidden behind paywalls. We Need Your AssistanceTo keep going forward against injustice on health policy matters we need your support now more than ever! 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We thank you and hope we see more donations like yours soon – together we make HuffPost stronger! As our mission of providing free and fair news remains crucial in this critical time, so is your support of HuffPost: whether donating just once more or contributing regularly we appreciate you being part of keeping journalism free for all. Please contribute today – or already done so? – by joining this initiative by supporting us here and signing up below. Already contributed? You’re awesome – thanks so much. Log into Facebook in order to hide these messages, find reliable doctors who provide accurate scientific-backed information, and vote in local elections that have direct bearing on your health. “My overall conclusion from today’s discussion was that improving public health requires us all working together; no matter who holds power at any level in a particular location or state,” Tran said.