Some of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists have been told to stop using the words "woman", "disabled", and "elderly" in external communications, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter. 

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The FDA scientists said that a list with the file name "prohibited words" has been circulating since at least last week in official chats. 

As the issue came under the spotlight, the White House spokesman said that a part of the list of banned terms had misinterpreted President Donald Trump's executive order. 

Also read: Deloitte orders US staff to remove gender pronouns from email amid Trump's crackdown on transgenders

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The list is creating further confusion at an agency struggling with the Trump administration's sweeping firings. 

Two FDA scientists, who requested anonymity, said that neither they nor their managers knew who issued the directive or why many of the more than two dozen words were included. 

"I don't understand why we can't use a word like 'woman'," one FDA source who received the list told Reuters. "The words on the list would make it almost impossible to do our jobs."

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The list reviewed by Reuters includes words like underrepresented, underserved, understudied, sex, identity, diverse, women, woman, promote, definition, continuum, ideology, self-assessed, special populations, elderly, and disabled.

Also read: Transgenders, people with 'history of gender dysphoria' can no longer join US military: Hegseth memo

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, another federal health agency was told to remove words such as gender, transgender, LGBT, and nonbinary from its communications to ensure that they comply with executive orders. 

To follow the order, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed publicly available health information, including HIV datasets, and withdrew research papers that were being considered for publication in scientific journals for review by Trump appointees. 

Also read: Transgender Americans face complicated passport process amid Trump's new policy

White House calls it an ‘error’

The White House spokesman told Reuters that most of the words on the FDA list did not need to be removed from communications, adding that an error may have resulted from the FDA officials misinterpreting Trump's executive order against "gender ideology."

Further clarifying, the spokesman said that the FDA does need to prohibit the use of the words gender, inclusion, identity, diversity, inter, intersex, equity, equitable, transgender, and trans to comply with the order.

Also read: Trump to sign executive order banning transgender athletes from female sports

Public health experts react

The experts stressed that such a move can threaten their ability to address all kinds of medical needs as they affect different groups, including those with HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. 

Moreover, the two FDA sources said that their colleagues told them the list had originated within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, which has more than 2,000 workers and is tasked with ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical devices.

(With inputs from agencies)