Boots menopause advice for "people with a vagina"

web.archive.org/web/diff/20231026074341/20231108124236/www.boots.com/health-pharmacy/womenshealth/menopause-support

^ before and after

Just had a look and they are gradually changing back the offending pages

They fixed the menopause page but this language is all over the Health Hub section of the website:

https://www.boots.com/healthhub/intimate-health/self-care-for-down-there

"Vaginal thrush is a common infection that most people with a vagina will experience at some point in their life."

https://www.boots.com/healthhub/intimate-health

"In people with a vagina, pain in the tummy, bleeding after sex and bleeding between periods."

"Cystitis is a urinary tract infection (UTI). It affects the bladder and can affect anyone but is particularly common in people with a vagina."

etc.

I see they've changed the first paragraph so that it says 'women' - but it still says 'people' in the second.

There is actually no need to use the word 'people', or even the word 'women' - and the paragraph can be inclusive without excluding women or erasing the word woman.

Change it from this:

"The menopause is a natural process which people with a vagina go through as they get older however, in some cases, is medically induced. As oestrogen levels start to drop, periods become less frequent and eventually stop altogether. For some, their periods stop quickly, but for others, it can take a few months or a few years. Everyone is different.

Menopause signs and symptoms are different for everyone and usually begin between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age for people in the UK being 51. Whilst some choose to seek treatment plans from their GP, others will look for other solutions to help manage signs & symptoms."

to this:

"The menopause is a natural process which occurs with age, however, sometimes it needs to be medically induced. As oestrogen levels start to drop, periods become less frequent and eventually stop altogether. Sometimes periods stop quickly, but it may take a few months or even a few years. Everyone is different.

Menopause signs and symptoms are different for everyone and usually begin between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age in the UK being 51. Whilst some choose to seek treatment plans from their GP, others will look for other solutions to help manage signs & symptoms."

Yes it says women now

Bloody hell.

Why can't they just go back to their old, clear style of information, and add caveats for trans people? Explain that it's something that happens to women, and then add something like "please note that transwomen will not experience the menopause, but will benefit from reading our information about prostrate/whatever" and then on men's healthcare pages "please note that transmen will not experience prostate problems/testicular cancer but will benefit from info about menopause". They could even have some super-helpful pages specifically for trans people to spell out what their healthcare needs are. Surely that would be inclusive and more likely to keep people well. The only people who could object to that are the ones that prefer hearing lies and putting their health in danger as a result, and why should they get preferential treatment?

@Mooserp snap

Has it been updated, the link I see says women?

I just clicked on the link and it says 'Women'

They can think that they're men as much and as often as they like! But they are still, biologically, women.

I disagree. There are women who think they are men. They are known as transmen. That's OK. They need accessible healthcare messages that they don't find triggering. healthcare shouldn't be judgemental. It should be inclusive. leaving out the word 'women' from info about menopause is as far from inclusive as it is possible to get. But adding transmen isn't.

Unfortunately some TM will undergo early menopause because of 'gender affirming treatments' . They need serious medical advice not fluffy words on a commercial website.

WOMAN WOMAN WOMAN

The list of companies I'm boycotting is growing everyday...lush, Tampax (well, proctor and gamble), boots. Can't remember more but I'm sure there are many.

This is all getting out of hand. I understand the need to be inclusive but when that comes at the cost of excluding almost half the population who are biologically female and are proud (for want of a better word) to be that way then there is a major problem.

It almost feels like we are going back in time in terms of gender rights. Got to keep the women quiet to keep the men happy, after all they don't know any better do they

@Mischance

Some trans males have a vagina surgically constructed

They may well do. But they still won't experience the menopause.

Why not "women and trans men"? 🤔

I don't think there are that many menopausal transmen or NB females that would be 'excluded' by just saying women either. It's not like we are talking about uber sensitive teens/ 20 somethings.

At least breasts are still breast not chests (for now)

Just looked on their website- how come men are allowed shavers, incontinence pads and gift sets and women aren't allowed to be acknowledged in menopause? This makes me so 😡

Women women women women women women women women women women.

Nobody died. No one experienced literal violence. It’s just a word - a nice, clear word that has been used for a very, very long time to describe female adult humans.

All Boots needed, if they wanted to be right-on, was a little footnote at the end:

* In this advice section, we refer to women, as the menopause is a female condition. However, we recognise that some people affected by the menopause may have a trans or non-binary gender identity. This advice is still relevant for those groups.

Scuse me, if it's not blatantly obvious.....

If it's blatantly obvious, neo vaginas don't have periods and therefore cannot stop having periods.
It's a ridiculous and rubbish piece of writing.

Time to boycott Boots then.
Lets get the Daily Mail onto this.

It should say "people with a womb/ovaries" if it wants this nonsense to mean anything at all. Some trans males have a vagina surgically constructed.

What a state we are in when big companies feel obliged to spout this rubbish.