Overview

• At an Oct. 9 White House cabinet meeting, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed boys circumcised early have double the autism rate and said Tylenol use was likely the reason, offering no cited studies.
• Scientists and medical reviewers say no credible evidence supports a causal connection between circumcision or acetaminophen and autism, noting that cited 2013 and 2015 papers have been strongly criticized for poor methods.
• Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, stated that independent research shows acetaminophen does not cause autism and cautioned that discouraging appropriate use could harm pregnant women and children.
• Republican senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, who supported Kennedy’s confirmation, expressed surprise when asked about his circumcision-Tylenol assertions, calling the claims new to them.
• Forbes reporting says Kennedy doubled down a day later by citing a non–peer-reviewed preprint, as a separate KFF survey found 59% of Americans disapprove of his job performance and views on Tylenol track along party lines.