Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. said during a Thursday Cabinet meeting, “Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol.” The current presidential administration has repeatedly and baselessly claimed that autism is partly caused by pregnant mothers who took Tylenol during their pregnancies.

Newsweek noted that RFK may have taken his conclusion from a 2015 study in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine that found a higher rate of autism among circumcised boys. However, that study didn’t establish a cause nor did it mention any use of Tylenol.

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RFK Jr.’s cruel thoughts on autism show he is a danger to us all

Regardless, no credible scientific studies have found any causation between circumcision, Tylenol, or autism.

Mental health professionals and parents of children with autism have criticized RFK for trying to find the “causes of autism,” rather than fostering better social awareness and support for autistic individuals.

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Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic. "Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive…"

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— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 12:10 PM

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of symptoms that manifest differently in each individual, including difficulties in social interactions, repetitive behaviors, resistance to change, and increased or decreased sensory sensitivity. ASD often accompanies other diagnoses, including learning disabilities, attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD), and self-harm.

While some people with autism are high-functioning and live independently, others may require lifelong support. Regardless, neurodiversity proponents say that people with autism should be accommodated rather than cured; that there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to helping them; and that their symptoms may be worsened by societal norms that force them to behave in “neurotypical” (NT) ways.

Why is autism linked to LGBTQ+ people?

Increasingly, conservative legislation seeking to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth has required mental health professionals to evaluate minors for autism before diagnosing them with gender dysphoria (that is, unease due to a mismatch between a person’s gender identity and the biological sex they were assigned at birth). But autism doesn’t “cause” trans identity per se, nor does trans identity cause autism — experts are still exploring the link between the two.

A 2016 study found that autistic children were seven times more likely to exhibit gender variance than their non-autistic peers. A 2019 study found that trans and nonbinary people are also more likely to be autistic or display autistic traits than those who are cisgender. In 2021, a University of Cambridge study — the largest study on autistic people to date — found that people with autism (especially girls and women) were about eight times more likely to identify as asexual and “other” sexuality than their non-autistic peers.

“It is more common for autistic individuals to deviate from gender norms … that attempt to dictate the ways a person should act, look, and identify based on their gender,” according to the Organization for Autism Research. Alternately, some psychiatrists think that prenatal hormonal exposure may increase the likelihood of queerness and autism.

Regardless, studies show that LGBTQ+ people and people with autism both suffer from stigma and unmet healthcare needs, making the need for Neurodiversity Pride and advocacy more important now than ever.

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