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New Scientist magazine and 'pregnant people'

87 replies

VeronicaBeccabunga · 25/08/2022 20:05

Similarly to the Science Museum [in a previous thread] New Scientist magazine seems to be a bit lacking in basic science.
I've emailed them today about an article in this week's issue about the safety of covid-19 vaccines in pregnancy.
The article refers to 'pregnant people' about a dozen times, including in a photo caption, and to women only twice, once in a direct quote from the co-author of the study.
We are also told that, of the participants in the study, '97% identified as women'.
I feel sure that of all publications NS ought to know that 'pregnant people' are all women. It doesn't matter in the slightest how anyone 'identifies' in this context.
I'm disappointed in a magazine that I always thought was supportive of women in science, and believed to be factual.

OP posts:
Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:20

bellinisurge · 25/08/2022 20:18

Pregnant women and pregnant transmen is the most you'll get me agreeing to.

Which is fine but I bet the editors keeping a weather- eye to the word count preferred the shorter version 😂

bellinisurge · 25/08/2022 20:18

Pregnant women and pregnant transmen is the most you'll get me agreeing to.

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:18

No, they are all female sexed. Some of them will identify as transgender men, non-binary etc.

Sex is biological fact. The rest of it is open to interpretation. I accept that you aren't comfortable with it, but that doesn't give your opinion any more weight than anyone else's.

This publication has used this wording because they are willing to accept that female people identify in different ways. I'm sorry you feel very strongly that this is wrong- that must be very frustrating.

There may be a sea change again where society moves away from this but I think you just need to accept that this is where society is at the moment.

Historically, all big societal and cultural shifts would have left sections of society feeling disenfranchised and angry. I'm sorry this has happened to you.

lll3333 · 25/08/2022 20:16

This is insane. So 3% of the pregnant people identified as men?

SlagathaChristie · 25/08/2022 20:13

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:10

Well they could. Or they could use the shorter, 'pregnant people'.

Or they could just say "pregnant women". Woman = human adult female. I can call myself a chair, doesn't make me one. It's incredibly disrespectful to tell 99% (or whatever it is) of women that our name is now taboo because a few women have a gender identity disorder/issue/whatever.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/08/2022 20:12

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:10

Well they could. Or they could use the shorter, 'pregnant people'.

It's not really shorter if you take into account all the complaints from women that the term pregnant people results in

OldCrone · 25/08/2022 20:12

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:10

Well they could. Or they could use the shorter, 'pregnant people'.

But all those people are women.

OldCrone · 25/08/2022 20:11

Their sex is female @Holly60, so they are women, whether they like to be referred to in that way or not.

But I don't remember women being asked if they wanted to be referred to as vagina havers, uterus havers, cervix havers or just 'people'.

Why are so many people bending over backwards to accommodate some people's struggle with accepting reality, while ignoring the majority of women?

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:10

Well they could. Or they could use the shorter, 'pregnant people'.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/08/2022 20:09

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:06

What about transgender men who are pregnant? They presumably would rather not be referred to as a woman.

Then use "pregnant women and transgender men" or "pregnant women and other pregnant people".

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:09

I guess it's also including non-binary people who are female sexed and therefore able to be pregnant, but who don't identify as a woman

Holly60 · 25/08/2022 20:06

What about transgender men who are pregnant? They presumably would rather not be referred to as a woman.

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