Hospital questionaire

[notangelinajolie]

I didn't know where to put this, but I know I found it alarming.

I came out if hospital yesterday and was asked to fill in this questionnaire relating to my hospital experience. I filled it in because I wanted to give feedback but there were 2 questions in particular that I couldn't answer.

Ffs. That's all I can say.

It's annoying to have to accept a gender. I hate it when they ask what gender I identify with. Not because I'm anything other than conventionally female. But just because I don't think it's a choice I made or an optional identity.

I suppose ppl would argue that I could choose to be a trans man if I wanted or be gender neutral, but not really? My 10 year old daughter got her hair cut short and the number of ppl who've asked if she's trans or a lesbian is just insane. She's 10. It's just a hairstyle. People are so crazy atm.

I think it would be worth writing to the hospital to explain why asking for people's birth sex and gender separately would actually give them more useful data on patient experience. For example, if a particular group - say, trans men, or women- experience worse treatment and report worse experience then this survey won't pick that up. Explain it very reasonably and they will find it hard to disagree

For example, if a particular group - say, trans men, or women- experience worse treatment and report worse experience then this survey won't pick that up.

It will though. Simple cross tabs on the first 2 questions shows who's trans.

The first two questions need to fuck off.

Many patients in hospital are elderly and have no idea what this is talking about or are unwell
with diseases and incidence influenced / caused by biological sex - pregnancy / birth (women), haemophilia (men/boys) , forms of muscular dystrophy (men/boys) , breast cancer (women) , prostate cancer (men), MS(women)

Did it ask you what sex you are also or is this the only option?

Also was there a box for comments?

“Is your gender...”

This assumes that everyone subscribes to the notion of gender.

It’s like asking is your Church of England church the one you were baptised in.

Not everyone is Church of England. Why would they be? It’s bonkers to assume everyone answering your questionnaire is Church of England unless your questionnaire is about your experience at your CofE Church!

I filled in British Dental Association forms for patients details. There was one question - "Sex" with two options: male or female. Retro!!

I carry red Sharpies (and leaflets and stickers!) in my bag especially for occasions such as this. I like to use capitals and sometimes I underline. I try not to swear.

Light hearted reply there obvs, but it is fucking infuriating especially in a hospital setting. I've spent more time in hospital recently than I care to tot up, and I have yet to meet one single patient who thinks it's anything but madness. This is different wards/clinics too, so a big selection of people.

The other side was blank with lines for comments. The question was something like - what made your stay comfortable and how could we improve it. I didn't take a photo as I'd already filled it in.

They did not ask sex, it was just the questions on the photo.

I would have been totally stumped by these questions if it were not for Mumsnet. The lady (not old) in the next bed had to ask someone. The 2 nurses she asked didn't know either - I got the feeling they hadn't paid the questionnaire much attention and had no idea these questions were even there.

Well - they do now!

I will write to them when I'm feeling more up to it.

Could you just ask them ‘What do you mean on question 2?’

(It’s really odd of them to give a binary yes/no choice for gender without defining it. I mean, I think they’d want me to tick ‘yes’ as a female woman, but I’m a woman because I’m female, not a woman because of gender .)

And if someone ticks nonbinary for question 1, what one earth do they tick for question 2? Yes, I was nonbinary at birth ? No, I’m much less binary than I was but I’m not telling you which sort of body I have? What use is that information?

Q1 first box
Q2 yes.

Happy to help.

For what it is worth due to q2 they can easily split this data into trans women/women trans men/men but this is an inclusive way of getting the information.

LL83 - nicely disingenuous response there. You're not happy to help at all; you want to make a passive-aggressive point.

OP - can you just cross all that out and simply write "Sex: female". It allows you to make your point with the minimum of fuss.

But it’s not ‘inclusive’ if it baffles half the patients it’s given to - as the OP mentioned.

If the patient’s sex is relevant to the survey, they need to word the question so that people answer it with their actual sex.

I would suggest ‘Sex: m/f/prefer not to say’ with a footnote that says ‘We need to know your birth sex for medical reasons.’

@DodoPatrol I very much doubt it baffles anyone. Even if you did not understand/agree with trans you can figure out what box you are. It may irritate some people but many will agree or be indifferent.

I always cross out gender questions and write sex.

I will not be defined in someone elses ideology.

I always cross out gender questions and write sex

Same. I don’t have a gender, I only have a biological sex.

The average person has no idea what 'gender' means. They might have an inkling it's a fancy new word for sex. Outwith Twitter, most people see all this as a load of inconsequential flimflam.

It's been a useful smokescreen for ushering in an ideology that most people are entirely unaware of. Very underhand. Very slick. It's been said quite clearly the proponents of gender ideology have done their best to bring in regulatory capture by stealth.

Trouble Is, real life will eventually catch up with it. And then there will be backlash, which will help precisely nobody.

An open, respectful and comprehensive discussion on this is long overdue.

Open discussion means you can't constantly dismiss the feelings, thoughts and beliefs of people who disagree with you, btw. At least half of that discussion includes listening.

LL83 -‘I very much doubt it baffles anyone’

Bullshit - have you any idea the proportion of hospital patients who are elderly and or with dementia or just have enough problems of their own to deal with without being forced to deal with the ideological prevarications of others.

Hospital patients are their because of their BIOLOGY - and knowing biological sex and differences between the two is vital to safe health care.

Hospital patients are already unhappy with their bodies and would actually like to transition their bodies from a state of illness to wellness.

The shame is - I am sure my good friend - when she goes to the fertility clinic - would gladly magic up some sperm to become a parent if she could - but guess what she can’t. Sod all to do with her gender identity.

What can't they just phrase the question correctly?

1. What is your biological sex?
2. Do you confirm to the sexist stereotypes of this sex, or the opposite sex?

Job done.

Many patients in hospital are elderly and have no idea what this is talking about or are unwell

Why are there so many derisory comments about elderly people lately on MN? Why assume they don't understand genders/trans etc?

At the least, you are being rude, but also, the shit bits of your judgemental personality are shining through.

It's not just elderly people, honestly. While many feminists are very aware of all the ins and outs, the general public, as a whole, are neither aware nor concerned.