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.

(extract from Daily Mail article below)

"The charity decided to pull the gendered word from its latest campaign, using the phrase 'everyone with a cervix'.

Cancer Research UK confirmed the move was in a bid to be more inclusive and not to exclude anyone who is biologically female but identifies as male."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5847585/Cancer-Research-UK-swaps-woman-campaign-avoid-offending-transgender-people.html

I do not believe that the wording is designed with transwomen/transmen in mind

They absolutely have confirmed this is the reasoning. They said so on their website. It has nothing to do with the reason you suggested.

It’s Cervical Screening Awareness week, which we’ve been supporting across our social media channels. One tweet sparked debate around the inclusive language we selected, which led journalists to cover the discussions on Twitter. Some people were against our choice, others were supportive.

MrsMcWoodle - women’s bits are discussed in a magical way a lot of the time, even in factual conversation.

I’ve had two bio kids and I’m still not sure how the ‘birth canal’ appears and disappears depending on context? I’ve started to think it must disapparate, Harry Potter style...

Re sources of information Grazia.daily.uk runs regular articles on smear tests.

This is their take on the current awareness week.

graziadaily.co.uk/life/health-fitness/cervical-cancer-screening-smear-test/

Hi @foxyliz26

No campaign here. Just want to say to CRUK that even the divided contributors to mumsnet all agree that removing the word “woman” from cervical cancer screening campaigns is very dangerous as many people won’t understand what they are trying to say.

Do you object to this? No one has objected so far to the use of the term women but I am waiting to hear back from two other posters.

A Public Service Announcement: Even if you no longer have a cervix, you should still consider having a smear as cervical cells and the surrounding cells are not well-differentiated.

This. So yes it does need to say "women". If considered necessary then also "other people with a cervix". But I don't think we should create an expectation that this stuff will always be pandered to at all times. Women's health is important and it's not always possible to be "inclusive" of females who don't think they are women in every line of everything ever written about it. I think we need to draw a line between sex and gender identity and refer to "male" or "female".

It doesn't matter how hard we try to comply. The massive problem is that transactivists have created a situation where it's considered more important to validate an identity than to take life saving health measures. This applies across the board. They can stop it, any time, by readjusting priorities.

This. I'm concerned by this "inclusivity" creep to validate a biological lie and some of the things I have seen happen because of it.

The fact is, your sex does impact your healthcare - it’s one of many reasons that people are fighting against the current desire by some to ignore natal sex.

YY.

That's a great link Lass.

"It’s Cervical Screening Awareness week, which we’ve been supporting across our social media channels. One tweet sparked debate around the inclusive language we selected, which led journalists to cover the discussions on Twitter. Some people were against our choice, others were supportive."

Why do CRUK think that excluding the word women leads to greater inclusivity?

I agree. I think their idea of "inclusive" is entirely driven by gender identity ideology. It excludes far more people than it includes.

I think people with gender dysphoria need to be a special interest group targeted separately. As I said, it's not possible to validate their identity all the time while providing clear plain English educational material to women (or men). And it creates the idea that women's groups and social media sites can't talk about women's health issues because its exclusionary to transgender people. And I have seen this happen time and time again where women are bullied and shut down for speaking about their biological reality.

If someone rang and said

Im not sure if i have a cervix...how do i know i have a cervix

How would they explain

Burpees, al” the more reason why the wording is wrong then?

People born female may not know if they have a cervix & some may have had their cervix removed.
As I have said before, some GPs will need confirmation from a woman's consultatnt oncologist that a vault smear is not neccessary (this can be done after a total hysterectomy eg when a woman has had her cervix removed following a cancer dx)

All people born male can be sure they do not have a cervix.
All people born male can be sure they do not need a smear test.

That's a great link Lass

Cosmo, Red, The Evening Standard, the Mail, the Express and the Guardian all have had recent articles about this. Grazia seems to do so annually. Grazia is the most recent I found but all the others had articles in 2018.

If for some reason I knew I no longer had a cervix the tweet would make me think I didn’t need to go -wrongly?

I think is a woman doesn't have a cervix she would probably already know

And if she didnt have a cervix then thank goodness she turned up to the smear to find out that she doesnt have on

So im guessing she wouldn't be charged

As it woukd be a problem in a woman...if you see what i mean

(Beginning to like the word womyn)

Oh wow

Loads of crossposts

Not all cis women have a cervix, so if they get a letter and show up should they be charged as well?

A cis woman without a cervix will either have had it surgically removed or will have had gynaecological issues where this has been identified.

If the first time she discovers she has the rare medical condition that she has no uterus is at a smear test I think it would be money well spent.

Potentially yes.... I spend some time on forums of women who have had gyny cancer diagnosis.

The issue with a smear test invitation arriving post surgery crops up regularly.

Some women find the letter distressing.

Some find it amusing and offer to try to have it sent via courier etc.

All women though are encouraged to check with their consultant /CNS as this is most often what the GP will ask before modifying the record. Sometimes consultants will advise that a vault smear is neccesary.

Oh x posts

Thankfully there are no ‘cis’ women on here, just WOMEN. 😒

If the first time she discovers she has the rare medical condition that she has no uterus is at a smear test I think it would be money well spent.

YY.

Trans ideology and their idea of correct language is always more important.

See the responses to Anna Turley MP.

twitter.com/annaturley/status/1007315316685393921