The following is a personal essay, and reflects the opinion of its author.September 30, 2025The Trump administration continued its attack on autism last week, this time by linking Tylenol (acetaminophen) use in pregnancy to autism and strongly discouraging its use. (“Fight like hell not to take it” and “tough it out,” Trump told expectant moms.)White House Press Secretary Karolina Levitt said, “The Trump administration does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health.”Hold on: I am healthy.
So are my autistic friends — and if they aren’t, their health problems aren’t ASD.Trump isn’t offering a cure for autism. Instead, he and RFK, Jr., are contributing to the burden of stigma that autistic people deal with every day.
Autism is not a disease or a mental health condition. It’s both a disability and a kind of neurodivergence.First off, blaming autism on pregnant people taking Tylenol isn’t just wrong — it’s potentially dangerous.
Since ibuprofen and aspirin are known to harm developing fetuses, acetaminophen remains the only painkiller available and safe for pregnant people, as backed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Autism Science Foundation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.During each of my three pregnancies, round ligament pain left me nearly unable to walk.
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