Health Autonomy

ANH fights so that Americans can choose from a full menu of healthcare options because we have a right to take care of our bodies however we choose. Health autonomy means we should be able to choose the remedies and the practitioners that best fit our needs. Too often, this choice is restricted by those who favor a single approach, like pharmaceutical drugs. Health autonomy also means we have the right to say “no” to medical treatments we do not want.

We should all have the freedom to refuse medical procedures like vaccination, but many states, and even Congress, attempt to pass bills restricting this basic freedom by eliminating exemptions to vaccines or mandating certain vaccines. We advocate to block bills that would mandate vaccination and support bills that protect your freedom of choice to make your own decisions for you and your family’s health.

Evidence shows that autoimmune patients are at greater risk of serious adverse events from COVID vaccination. At the same time, there is increasing societal pressure to get vaccinated as privileges are conferred to those who choose to get the COVID vaccines. We believe the public should be fully informed of the risks of medical procedures and that autoimmune patients should not be discriminated against for refusing a procedure that is riskier for them.

The FDA is threatening to ban personalized compounded bioidentical hormones, like estriol, that millions of American women rely on. As the largest natural health non-profit engaging on this issue, we’re educating Congress on the threat to these vital medications and fighting the FDA tooth and nail to protect access to compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

The FDA is threatening the very future of homeopathy, having declared all currently marketed homeopathic medicines to be illegal. ANH is working at all levels— grassroots, legislative, and legal to ensure consumers can access homeopathic medicines to support their health.

ANH works at the state level to advocate for legislation to permit the licensing of naturopathic doctors (ND). Licensure allows NDs to communicate their level of training and education to consumers. Importantly, ANH-supported ND licensure programs do not prohibit other health professionals, such as “traditional” naturopaths who have not had the same training as NDs, from continuing to practice. Consumers should be able to decide for themselves what type of practitioner best fits their needs.

ANH works at the state level supporting bills to make sure that consumers can access the nutrition professionals that best suit their needs. Too often, particular trade associations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), try to exclude other professionals from practicing. In effect this often means that practitioners who don’t ascribe to a narrow set of conventional practices are unable to compete. ANH advocates for free and open markets where consumers can choose which credentials and level of education they prefer.

Health Autonomy News

How Might RFK Jr. Make America Healthy Again?
11/22/2024
You might have seen Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about to scoff McDonald’s on Donald Trump’s plane. Wa...
Loosening Big Pharma’s Grip on Our Health: Less or More Regulation?
11/14/2024
Mike Ames-Sikora and Rob Verkerk PhD explain why honest markets would eliminate Big Pharma’s he...
Big Pharma vs. Natural Health: Who Wins After the Election?
11/07/2024
Are we at the dawn of a natural health renaissance? Or will Big Pharma's economic influence and...
Reflections on 30 Years of DSHEA, Landmark Supplement Law
11/07/2024
A look back on the law that has guaranteed Americans unparalleled access to dietary supplements...
12 Things a Trump-Vance Administration Might Do to Improve the Health of Americans
11/07/2024
Click here to download PDF of full image and explanatory text 1. Healthier Americans? ...
ANH General Counsel Receives Multiple Honors
11/07/2024
ANH is thrilled to let you know that our General Counsel Jonathan Emord has recently received a...