People with a cervix

Those people will require highly-personalised health care because of their disorders of sexual development (they are not "intersex" because it is not possible to be between the two sexes) and personalised health communications will be a necessary part of that.

The mass communication needed to get women to attend smear tests, which includes the automated letters sent from the Cervical Screening Administration Service, needs to be comprehendable by someone with a learning disability or whose first language isn't English, and also understandable by someone who isn't sure what a cervix is or whether they have one. Mass communication hence needs to clearly say women.

Even if you think that trans men is a mental health issue, is it not still important that they still get the medical care they may need by being able to access a cervical screening test?

I totally appreciate that people have very differing views on trans BUT surely stopping people dying from this fucking awful disease is more important?

I’ve seen someone die a slow and painful death having developed cervical cancer.
She did not have a screening test. If she had, they would have picked it up.
By the time it was diagnosed, the cancerous cells were in her lymph nodes and despite the absolute best efforts and amazing ness of the NHS she died. She wasn’t even 40. Her little children don’t have their mother.

I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

I really hope this gets moved back to AIBU - we NEED to talk about cervical cancer and the screenings.

Literally this

They might not think of themselves as women, but they know they are in fact biologically women.

It's indulging in a delusion. The NHS shouldn't be indulging in delusions. I'm not going to lose too much sleep as long as 'women' is used but the term women and women only is sufficient. If a trans man isn't aware that women only conditions applies to them then a few 'inclusive words' is the least of their problems.

Edited to add - trans man. Not woman. See the problem of messing up language? 🙄

@WillIEverBeOk I want NHS info about screening to reach everyone who might need it. That language ensures it does. You know full well that TM do not think of themselves as women. I know you don't agree with it but that's the way they are.

Of course I don't get to decide it. I do get to have an opinion about it though. And my opinion is that a national medical institution should not be pretending that anyone other than a woman can have a cervix.

@WillIEverBeOk why shouldn't transmen have life saving cervical screening? How odd to say that. They're human beings with bodies that can get cancer in them?

A couple of extra words to make it clear everyone with a cervix should have a screening is dehumanising and offensive? How? What is offensive or dehumanising about that?

Can the OP contact Mumsnet to have this thread moved back to AIBU?

Cervical cancer can kill.

Many women / trans men do not attend this potentially life saving test.

Cervical screening can help prevent deaths.

Saving lives is the most important thing here.

I am gender critical but I don't have an issue with this phrasing as it states "women and people with a cervix". If it simply said "people with a cervix" it would be inappropriate but it retains "women" and includes trans men and gender neutral people who DO still retain a cervix and need to get it checked for cancerous cells.

I see this thread has been moved onto the naughty step. Perish the thought women on AIBU should have a view about the language used by the NHS to describe women's healthcare.

Who the fuck cares? Does it make your space unsafe? No! So worry about something that is important.

I am still waiting for anyone to explain how the sentence "women and people with a cervix" is in any shape or form dehumanising. Last time I checked people were humans.

Obviously they are a tiny percentage, but there's a chance a transman might be so caught up in believing they are male, that they wouldn't acknowledge a leaflet or instruction that only referred to 'women'.

And that would be their fault, too bad. Sorry-not-sorry.

Oh do fuck off. It’s dehumanising to women. Of course it’s her place to say.

Then they'd still know via testing of the chromosomes (intersex people are aware at least from puberty so are fully versed on their condition), this is more excuses. Isn't it strange we didn't need this until the last 5-10 years, and we survived well as a civilised society for centuries and decades and decades, with just men and women or male and female?

I don't see how. The post says "women and people with a cervix". If something says "this tasty snack is safe for women and hamsters", I am unlikely to be offended by the sheer fact that hamsters were mentioned.
And since we advocate that transgender men are "actual women" then it would make more sense to hear directly from them if they find it offensive. That's all I am saying.

Would it seem more or less offensive if they said 'women and trans men'?
Because they should be included in it. Obviously they are a tiny percentage, but there's a chance a transman might be so caught up in believing they are male, that they wouldn't acknowledge a leaflet or instruction that only referred to 'women'.
The part that's aimed at me is completely reasonable. The other part is aimed at transmen so it's up to them to decide if that terminology is suitable or patronising or whatever.

I'm wondering how they would word a penile or prostate cancer awareness thing to include transwomen? Maybe they do say something similar/equivalent?

Yet the NHS doesn't say "men and people with a prostate", it just says "men".

Men are not required to pretend to be a subset of their one sex class. This isn't about inclusiveness, it's about subjugating women.