Judge Blocks HHS Rule Favoring Abstinence-Only Teen Programs Over Dubious AI Citations

In a recent opinion, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper rebuked the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for relying on questionable AI-generated or fictitious studies to justify a Trump-era policy that funds only abstinence-based teen-pregnancy prevention programs. Cooper noted the agency failed to provide any valid data supporting an across-the-board abstinence requirement and highlighted citations that appeared either nonexistent or unrelated to the claims.

He granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily stopping an order that had already resulted in millions of dollars in grant cuts. The judge concluded that the plaintiffs showed a strong likelihood of success on their claim that the rule was arbitrary and capricious, and that the harm to their programs was severe and irreversible. This is not the first instance of HHS using AI-produced references; a prior “Make America Healthy Again” report contained similar citation errors. Critics argue the agency’s reliance on such flawed evidence undermines public-health policy and could have serious consequences for affected communities.