We’re seeing a lot of chatter about RFK Jr. both online and in the news. It can feel nerve-wracking, between the diet coke slander and hearing “I hope you like the measles" on CNN. But what does RFK Jr.’s appointment to lead the Department of Health and Human Services really mean for women’s health, besides the fear of banning our favorite soda? 

Trump’s long line of cabinet picks includes former third-party Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the department’s website, “the mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans, by providing for effective health and human services and by fostering sound, sustained advances in the sciences underlying medicine, public health, and social services.” 

Before Donald Trump was even elected, he told RFK Jr. that he would put him in charge of women’s health and that RFK Jr. could “do whatever he wants.” RFK Jr. has no previous experience in medicine or public health.

On Abortion
RFK Jr. told an NBC reporter that, “a decision to abort a child should be up to the women during the first three months of life,” but that “the state has an interest” in restricting abortions after the first trimester and that he would support a federal law banning abortions after that time. His campaign then walked back the statement, claiming he misunderstood and that he supports a woman’s right to choose. 

HHS issues guidance regarding the application of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), including how EMTALA applies to situations in which a patient may need emergency abortion care. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the federal government sent guidance to hospitals reminding them of their obligation to provide lifesaving care, even if an abortion was necessary, under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). It stated, “When a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life of the pregnant person — or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALA’s emergency medical condition definition — that state law is preempted.” 

However, states like Texas have attacked EMTALA’s use in abortion cases, claiming that the government “cannot enforce a law governing emergency medicine to make sure patients get abortions in cases where their lives are threatened by a pregnancy.” Additionally, Project 2025 calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to dismantle the abortion protections provided under EMTALA. This would have very scary implications for pregnant women suffering from life-threatening conditions.

Project 2025 also proposes changing the Department of Health and Human Services into the Department of Life. This would include replacing the Reproductive Healthcare Task Force with an anti-abortion task force and creating a position called  “Special Representative for Domestic Women’s Health” to lead anti-abortion policy efforts.

However, since being tapped by Trump to lead HHS, RFK Jr.’s statements about his plans for reform have not been focused on abortion or EMTALA. 

On Sexual Health
HHS also oversees the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also known as CMS. Project 2025 asks the CMS to encourage states to remove Planned Parenthood from state Medicaid programs and create a regulation that would disqualify all abortion providers. 

Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit organization that provides a variety of sexual healthcare services both in the US and globally, addressing patient needs regarding STIs, certain cancers, endometriosis, menopause, PCOS, PID, UTIs, vaginal infections, fibroids, and more. It also provides birth control, emergency contraception, condoms, and abortion care. Planned Parenthood is fundamental to so many communities that turn to the organization for necessary healthcare services.

Nearly half of Planned Parenthood’s patients pay for their healthcare through Medicaid. Preventing patients from using Medicaid to access care at a Planned Parenthood clinic prevents those patients–especially women of color and women in rural and medically underserved areas–from accessing any sexual healthcare at all, including life-saving cancer screenings.

On the Transgender Community
In May, RFK Jr. stated that he is against allowing puberty blockers for minors. Puberty blockers are medications that stop the body from producing sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. These are often prescribed to youth with gender dysphoria as a temporary treatment while they consider future options. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have accused RFK Jr. of spreading misinformation about puberty blockers. 

The Upshot
Overall, many Americans are less than thrilled about having an anti-vaxxer, fluoride skeptic, and raw milk advocate spearheading the conversation and policy surrounding women’s health – especially when so much is at stake. But, although it seems likely that the Republican-controlled Senate will acquiesce to all of Trump’s cabinet picks given the GOP’s demonstrated unwillingness to oppose Trump’s whims, it still remains to be seen whether RFK Jr. will be confirmed.