People with a cervix

[RoyalCorgi]

Latest tweet from Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust:

"#SmearTests are for all women and people with a cervix. No matter who you are or who you're attracted to, it is your right to have a smear test if you choose to."

Wonder how long it took them to come up with that convoluted phrasing. And as a message it doesn't even make sense.

Well, that seems fine to me. It is a bit clunky, but it's saying women and it's including people who want to call themselves something else but still need a smear.

I hate this destruction of language. I'm with you OP.

But by their own logic, a cervical smear can't be for "all women" because some women don't have a cervix, right? Unless they're seriously suggesting that women who don't have cervixes also have the right to a smear test.

It's also a really poor message. Some groups of women are much higher risk than others. It's not actually a good idea for very young women to have smear tests because the risk is low, and a false positive could result in unnecessary treatment. Similarly, it's probably not useful for very old women to have a smear test. Cervical cancer is also almost unknown in women who haven't had sex with a male partner, so again it might be worth stating that.

Neither do they point out that you have the right to decline a smear test if you want.

Yeah language matters.

Who are all women anyway

What does that even mean

Confusing message

Well, I can tell you one person who'll be delighted by that message. J Y who has been insisting on his right to a smear test by arguing “It’s not a loophole. I’m female, I’m entitled to all services provided to any female, and that’s the law. If I need a Pap smear, I’ll get a Pap smear”

Even though it's not clear what that would even entail in his case. But hey, here's the Cervical Cancer Trust telling him that he's right, because it's for "all women... no matter who you are or who you're attracted to, it is your right to have a smear test if you choose to.*

Cervical cancer is also almost unknown in women who haven't had sex with a male partner, so again it might be worth stating that.

They can't say that. can they? There literally isn't language available to say that if you're woke.

I prefer "All women and people with a cervix" to just "people with a cervix". I'm actually ok with that.

For them to say
"All Females (women, transmen and non binary females) with a cervix" would be most accurate though.

As for "some women don't have a cervix" well....quite. That's why they're asking for "women with a cervix" not all women.

"Women and people with a cervix".
Not
"All women, and people with a cervix"

It is fine to me too. Accommodates both.

Is transmen an offensive term now?

Good point, pika - they could just say "women and transmen".

Women and people with a cervix? So real women (born male) and the other type..? This is riddiculous.

Why would anyone born biologically male need a smear? They'd be more in need a prostate exam? It's such a waste of resources.

Are those who give smears supposed to stimulate the penis for a while, when presented with one, so it seems like they're doing something? Or do they just sort of poke at it and declare all is well?

I don't think "transmen" would account for non-binary or cloud-gendered folks who happen to have cervixes.

What would be good would be to have a word to just describe cervix-having persons, as a group.

Cloud gendered?

I had a smear recently as my friends and I had been encouraging each other to be more organised with check ups.

I mentioned this to the nurse afterwards and that it was concerning to hear reports of women not getting smears done.

She responded that it was a big problem in the new communities locally and in particular for those women who don’t have English as a first language.

So that’s where I have a problem with this. I think convoluted, obscure and opaque statements like this are making matters worse for those women. This statement is designed for a very tiny proportion of people who wish to change language under the guise of being inclusive. It is very specifically NOT designed to be inclusive to those who are vulnerable to cervical cancer and who have numerous barriers to regular health checks.

Cloud gendered?

Yeah, if I understand it correctly it means your sense of gender changes or has an undefined quality. I may be mixing it up though.

I'm sure this trust does amazing, worthwhile work, but smear tests are for women! As they always have been. Women. Including women who think/feel they are men. Not including men who think/feel/pretend they are women.

It is damaging to twist words and language to the point of meaningless in order to pander, out of cowardice or misplaced kindness, to the feelings of people who want/think/feel/pretend to be something they are not.

But who you're attracted to matters because cervical cancer is vanishingly rare amongst virgins and rare amongst women who've never had piv sex with a man.

I much prefer women and people who. Twist the language through whatever hoops it takes to placate those busy boring the rest of us to tears with their relentless court cases and fussing and all the rest of it, call them whatever they want to be called, just don't erase women in the process.

The NHS can deal with males who want smear tests for validation reasons, but I want fully transparent public release on the time it takes up and the cost to the public purse this involves. And for the NHS and politicians to then justify that to the general public.

Oh and the NHS can also publicly share the compensation paid out to staff who were either compelled to participate in a non consensual sexual experience by pretending to carry out an exam of a non existent organ while inserting things up someone's orifices for their personal satisfaction, or were disciplined for refusing to.

But who you're attracted to matters because cervical cancer is vanishingly rare amongst virgins and rare amongst women who've never had piv sex with a man.

Yes. This is important. The implication of the tweet is that women are clamouring to have smears, which isn't case. The idea that you should be firing up very low-risk women to demand their "right" to a smear, rather than focusing your energies on high-risk women who are neglecting to go for a smear, is not just bizarre, it's dangerous.

It's unclear. It should just say "women". After all, transmen know that they have female anatomy. Non-binary unicorns know which anatomy they have. If they choose think that pamphlets aimed at saving women's lives are irrelevant to them, then they have made an informed choice.

There is no need to clarify "women". We all know what this word means. Transwomen know what this word means.

It’s not a loophole. I’m female, I’m entitled to all services provided to any female, and that’s the law. If I need a Pap smear, I’ll get a Pap smear

Thats gonna hurt like fuck

Just sayin

The NHS leaflet in smears is perfectly clear cut and plainly written. It also uses the "women and people with a cervix" line. It's not perfect but it's a long way from the isolating and unwieldy "cervix havers".

I referred to it in my other thread about CRUK finally sorting their shit out.

And it turns out Jo's Trust helped with the wording.