Trans rights supporters -can we please unite on the cervical cancer issue

[speakingwoman]

I’m very worried about the cervical cancer issue.
If you are an advocate of trans rights but believe that cancer research should address its screening calls to “women” please do say so here.

To everyone else, if this is going to fail can we just let it fail quietly please?

There are some things just as important as conflicts of rights, people not dying of undetected cervical cancer is one of these.

If I get any support I will write to Cancer Research.

Publicity for screening should cover all bases. Women and anyone with a cervix.

I agree - Women and anyone with a cervix. This is to ensure the information is able to reach those with lower literacy levels and meet the duty to use Plain English when designing health promotion messages.

Totally agree wrong trousers.

No one can identify out of their biological destiny and no one should die of cancer unnecessarily.

Here’s the Fair Play for Women blog post on the subject, including my own experiences around Women’s cancers:

fairplayforwomen.com/cancer_research_drops_woman/

Do transwomen actually turn up for a smear
That’s insane!

Maybe Cancer Research should spend more money on actually giving women the facts about smear testing so they can give informed consent rather than wasting time trying to be PC.

That one really fucked me off! Women and anyone with a cervix would have been more acceptable. The fact they still use MEN when talking about male cancer, shows they are more nervous about pissing off men, but think women will be nice and accept, yet another, eraser of the word woman.

Reminder letters are computer generated so if you are designated as F in the system, you are likely to get one.

If a transwoman gets a letter stating they need to attend for screening, it’s not entirely their fault if they then show up for said screening.

Of course, the best way to avoid this is to ensure medical records state birth sex permanently - this ensures the best chances for appropriate health care for everyone.

Transwomen going for a cervical smear should be charged for the service. The NHS should not be paying!

I know we have some issues to address in schools, but I don't think transmen really specifically need to be told they have cervixes do they? They know this. When people think you can "change sex" they don't think you actually lose a cervix because you took testosterone. They think taking testosterone means you're a male now. A becervixed male.

I do think that cervical smear tests should be targeted only at those who need them, i.e. everyone who was born with & retains their cervix. Anything else is clearly madness, putting people's lives at risk, & a waste of already desperately overstretched NHS resources.

This is why sex clearly does matter.

OP, I agree with you. "Woman" absolutely needs to be included in communication about cervical cancer screening. To omit it is highly irresponsible.

Of course, the best way to avoid this is to ensure medical records state birth sex permanently - this ensures the best chances for appropriate health care for everyone.

Betty - this is one of the most sensible things I've heard in this whole "debate."

Hasn't it just been the case that hundreds of women have not been called for the breast screening they should have been. Yet despite this they still won't aim a cause at the people it's bloody meant for?

Wtf

If a transwoman gets a letter stating they need to attend for screening, it’s not entirely their fault if they then show up for said screening.

Having a few extra people turn up who can't/wont be screened seems like a reasonable trade-off.

Do transwomen actually turn up for a smear

Probably not. But it makes a good scaremongering, hate spreading tale for a mumsnet forum doesn't it.

Notice the collaborative nature of OP's request.

Of course, the best way to avoid this is to ensure medical records state birth sex permanently

No, the best way to avoid this is to ensure GPs do what they're supposed to do and mark their records 'smear not required'. As they do for any woman that doesn't have a cervix.

Of course, the best way to avoid this is to ensure medical records state birth sex permanently

There are many reasons why this should be done, not just for smears. A doctor once referred a trans man to my workplace for a procedure involving radiation. This doctor did not inform us that the patient was trans because it was "not relevant" to their current health issues. Apparently knowing that a patient was born female and retains a fully functional female reproductive system is "not relevant" when you're about to deliver a high dose of radiation to the pelvis.

Sorry, SuperMatchGame, but keeping ‘M’ and ‘F’ as a permanent status is far, far bigger than just smear testing and anything else does transfolk a disservice when it comes to healthcare. Of course, anyone who lives their life presenting as the opposite sex will need a note on the file to ensure respectful treatment from otherwise likely to be taken aback HCP but fear of offence cannot trump actual physical safety, as TheBadgers points out above.

Yes, birth sex and trans status need to be recorded on medical records. Transwomen are different to women with different medical needs. Likewise transmen are different to men.

Probably not. But it makes a good scaremongering, hate spreading tale for a mumsnet forum doesn't it.

I agree Supermatch. The CRUK wording is appalling. It will exclude women and trans men.

However stating comment stating as a fact that trans women use this service based on zero evidence beyond 1 anecdote doesn't help the cause of this thread.
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@SupermatchGame, I would argue that your GP is one of the few people who do need to know your birth sex. There are medical conditions linked to sex (haemophilia and prostate cancer being the best-known) and your GP will be involved in transition care. It's important that your GP has all the information needed to deliver that care, including birth sex.

Sex markers can be recorded independently of preferred honorific (Mr/Ms) and preferred pronouns. And TBH if your GP is writing to you, it'll be (looking at my cervical smear invitation for reference) addressed to "honorific firstname surname" and open with "Dear honorific surname" and then use "you/your/yours", none of those troublesome gendered third-person pronouns to be seen.

Yes, my cervical screening letter says "women", but unlike the tweeter who would rather die than be misgendered, I have actually watched a relative die of cancer and I'd gladly take misgendering over painful slow death. It's also probably not a huge change to the template to make it say "women, and trans folk with a cervix" or similar.

I don't believe that many transpeople are unaware of the biology of their individual bodies.

I don't believe that excluding the word 'women' helps more people who need smears request a test it certainly won't increase the take up rate for screening.

I don't know the motivation for the wording, but it wasn't to help more women request the test.

The publicity should mention women only. This is risking women's lives. Men's feeling are apparently more important than women's lives.