Come off it Cancer Research UK

[Noviceoftheweek]

So now women aren't even mentioned in cervical screening awareness activity. To quote Cancer Research UK: "cervical screening (or the smear test) is relevant for everyone aged 25-64 with a cervix."

I despair, I really do.

Why does that matter? Seems sensible to me, whatever gender you are, if you have a cervix then you should be screened.

I suppose they know that 'anyone' who has a cervix must be genetically a woman!

storm are there men who have cervixes? Serious question.

It's not sensible at all. It's pandering to a very small minority and a very disturbing development.

It's nice that you think trans bashing is more important than doing everything possibly to prevent cervical cancer

This is not trans-bashing.

Op, YANBU.

www.nytimes.com/2004/06/23/us/10-million-women-who-lack-a-cervix-still-get-pap-tests.html

sunshinesupermum - there are people who claim to be women though they were born male, and these people don’t have cervixes. Their feelings are hurt when they read or hear anything that assumes all women have female genitalia

There are people born with both or confused sets of genitalia. There are women that have had their cervix removed.

Its not unreasonable imo.

Does this mean they now have to call everyone aged 25-64 for screening. Because if a person is registered as Male on medical records, how will the surgery know that actually, John Smith has a cervix because they were previously Jane?

If it isn't the done thing to identify people using biology, I can see an awful lot of people slipping through the net. Especially if they no longer wish to associate with their birth sex.

More to the point there are people born biologically FEMALE who identify as male and don't get cervical screening. There is plenty of evidence supporting the conclusion that trans people don't access vital healthcare when awareness of certain conditions is heavily gendered. So trans men are measurably less likely to attend cervical screenings if awareness campaigns are solely aimed at women.

This is just a very tiny linguistic concession which doesn't harm you at all, but which might save someone's life. How can you honesty oppose that?

Thanks user - I was beginning to think the school biology lessons were mistaken. I guess I should be upset that I don't have a prostrate then.

YANBU sounds like they're being inclusive to transmen and trying to ensure everyone who needs to gets themselves checked.

More to the point there are people born biologically FEMALE who identify as male and don't get cervical screening. There is plenty of evidence supporting the conclusion that trans people don't access vital healthcare when awareness of certain conditions is heavily gendered. So trans men are measurably less likely to attend cervical screenings if awareness campaigns are solely aimed at women.

This is just a very tiny linguistic concession which doesn't harm you at all, but which might save someone's life. How can you honesty oppose that?

You put that much better than me. Very well said

The other side of the argument of course is there are females with a cervix identifying as male.

It is completely sensible. If you don't have a cervix, you don't need to be screened. Specifying the gender would be irrelevant.

Cross post.

If you become trans do you lose the ability of sensible thought? I mean I am a woman who is not a man but realise that men will need prostrate checks. If you are a trans man who has not had surgery surely you know that you still need smear tests?

My DC absolutely wants and believes themselves to be a man.
They would not respond to a request to attend a women's clinic (to the detriment of their own health).

I'm prepared to be a little affronted that women aren't mentioned in the health recommendation from CRUK if it gets another handful of relevant people/potential cancer victims tested.

FFS.

Your gender is irrelevant to whether you need a smear. Your sex, however, is not.

The only people who need smears are women. I.e. people of the female sex.

I really don't understand why gender is suddenly the characteristic we define people by, rather than sex.

What @HeckyPeck said.

And actually, @SnapAndFart (love the name btw) makes an excellent point - not all women have cervixes and they shouldn't be made to feel like they are lesser or somehow not real women because they don't have cervixes. So I think it's a good thing to step away from campaigns saying 'cervical screening is relevant for all woman aged between X and Y'. Not only is that statement not true, it's actually hurtful to some women.

It's not helpful to women who have english as a second language and women with learning disabilities.
Also some women don't know everything that's down there. A gap in knowledge.

If you become trans do you lose the ability of sensible thought?
Yes. Gender dysphoria/body dysmorphia can be that debilitating.

I think it's fair enough.