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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsHealthcare3yrs ago

Should medical boards penalize doctors who give health advice that contradicts contemporary scientific consensus?

In 2022 lawmakers in the U.S. state of California passed legislation which empowered the state medical board to discipline doctors in the state who “disseminate misinformation or disinformation” that contradicts the “contemporary scientific consensus” or is “contrary to the standard of care.” Proponents of the law argue that doctors should be punished for spreading misinformation and that there is clear consensus on certain issues such as that apples contain sugar, measles is caused by a virus, and Down syndrome is caused by a chromosomal abnormality. Opponents argue that the law limits freedom of speech and scientific “consensus” often changes within mere months.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 44.9k America voters.

39%
Yes
61%
No
33%
Yes
39%
No
5%
Yes, this will decrease the amount of misinformation patients receive
11%
No, but the doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts contemporary scientific consensus
1%
Yes, and the doctors should also lose their medical license
7%
No, only when the advice was proven to harm the patient
4%
No, scientific consensus can quickly change and patients should be allowed to try unconventional ideas

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 44.9k America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 44.9k America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9GX62WV from North Carolina  answered…3yrs3Y

No, only if the advice was proven to harm the patient. Doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts scientific consensus.

 @9BJF3B4 from Virginia  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only when the advice was proven to harm the patient

 @9BP88YF from Indiana  answered…3yrs3Y

No, only when the advice was proven to harm the patient and the doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts contemporary scientific consensus.

 @9GWKTHP from Arizona  answered…3yrs3Y

They should not. Scientific consensus about transgenderism and such has been proven WRONG, and yet everyone acts like it is true.

 @9WQGF95 from New York  answered…2yrs2Y

No, only when the advice was proven to harm the patient
No, scientific consensus can quickly change and patients should be allowed to try unconventional ideas
No, but the doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts contemporary scientific consensus

 @9H5VH62 from North Carolina  answered…3yrs3Y

No, only if the advice was proven to harm the patient, but doctors should be required to disclose that their advice contradicts scientific consensus

 @B3TL4FV from New Jersey  answered…1yr1Y

no, doctors should be required to disclose that the advice contradicts contemporary scientific consensus, and be penalized if the advice is proven to harm the patient.

 @9GFPK3Z from Kansas  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes, but only when the advice was proven to harm the patient, scientific consensus can change and patients should be allowed to try unconventional ideas

About This Data

Based on 44.9k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should medical boards penalize doctors who give health advice that contradicts contemporary scientific consensus?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/4934271436

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