NHS Cervical Screening leaflet

[JolyonsChickensAreBigots]

Just received a letter suggesting I book a cervical screen and the leaflet entitled 'NHS cervical screening Helping you decide' is one of the most confusing things I've read. The only time the word 'woman' appears to be mentioned is with the word 'trans' in front.

To avoid saying the words 'woman' or 'women' they go all around the houses trying to explain who needs screening whilst only using the word 'people' so it is needlessly convoluted and I gave up.

They don't fucking care about women who have limited English or those with learning difficulties do they?

Public Health England and NHS increased deaths from cervical cancer are on your hands

Do you have a picture/ link?

Why would the words trans women be mentioned in a cervical screening leaflet? Asking genuinely.

Doesn’t it just say you need a screening if you have a cervix?

Maybe you could write and suggest they say you need screening if you're a woman? Just a thought.

Is it this one?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/846501/Cervical_screening_helping_you_decide_HPV.pdf

kerning

Maybe you should tell them to update the information you have linked to because since its publication the NHs had labelled people who request a female HCP as transphobic. So its lying when they .say are allowed to request a female

Is it this leaflet?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/846501/Cervical_screening_helping_you_decide_HPV.pdf

Page 2 no mention of which sex they're talking to, until the bottom of the page which clarifies which of the people who may identify as trans would need cervical screening.

If you are a transgender (trans) man registered with your GP as female, we will send you invitations for cervical screening. If you are registered as male you won’t receive invitations, but your GP or practice nurse can arrange an appointment for you if you have a cervix. If you are a trans woman you don’t need cervical screening

So, if you're a transman (female) who is registered as a male, you're not going to be sent this leaflet, are you? Or is this leaflet being sent to all people just in case they have a cervix?

And this leaflet still hasn't stated exactly who cervical screening is for, as 'woman/female' hasn't been mentioned yet.

Page 3 - oops, mentions and shows a drawing of the female reproductive system. (Given that some men who identify as women state they're female, this could get complicated!)

Page 4: It is spread through close skin to skin contact during any type of sexual activity with a man or woman well now I'm confused, which man and woman? Any? Transman/transwoman? Just people? If it's two transwomen, does the HPV virus that they may spread lead to cervical cancer? Oh, maybe not? Because they don't have a cervix. But this leaflet daren't state that obvious fact!

Page 6: Cervical screening is usually carried out by a female nurse or
doctor. If you want to make sure a woman carries out your test, you can ask for this when you make your appointment Erm, you've just switched language there, do you mean a female, or a woman in the all-encompassing 'whatever you feel like, woman' definition?

Page 10: 100 women who have cervical screening.

Ahh, I give up.

NHS - use your words.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/patient-branded-transphobic-after-asking-for-female-medic-3jh3snddt

Sorry I dont have a share token but this is what happened when someone did as that leaflet suggested

That's the leaflet

It's a dogs dinner of confusion

I think they have lost sight of to whom they aim their leaflet.

It is disappearing into a fog of Whataboutery/ #NotAll

Is this the same as the ‘anyone with a cervix’ leaflet or a new one?

If NHS - they are supposed to be user tested to be clear and explicit as they save lives. If it doesn’t explicitly say women, how are you supposed to know? Smear test rates are woeful as it is - but I suppose women’s lives don’t matter.

OP I think you should take a photo of it and send it to the media esp the newspapers...

OMD

The amount of staff time that’s gone into that word salad.

Shouldn't the NHS be working to campaign for plain English standards? I could barely understand that and I at least know I have a cervix. The guidance is that to reach most people writing should assume a reading age of 12 and there's still a fifth of the population that would struggle even then.

Molten
It's incredible.

Someone was careful and considered enough to ensure that this leaflet was inclusive enough to explain to females who'd prefer to call themselves men, and males who'd prefer to call themselves women whether they were eligible for this screening. (Which I get, fair play, we need to be explicit as to who may or may not need cervical screening, though surely these two groups will be familiar with the bits that they'd rather not have?).

But the same leaflet writer somehow forgot to be explicit enough in ths leaflet to say that this procedure is for females.

Page 2: Who we invite... First invitations arrive a few months before people turn 25. You can book your appointment as soon as you get your invitation.

People FFS

I'd have no problem with the paragraphs for trans men and trans women's if they could write the rest of the leaflet for women. As it is those stand out as being the only clear statements

"If you are a trans woman you don’t need cervical screening."

How transphobic!

/Sarcasm

If I get that I’m amending it to add woman where it’s completely appropriate & sevding it back

"If you are a trans woman you don’t need cervical screening."

I think that could be confusing. Trans women might be left wondering why they don't need cervical screening and they might be worried about their personal risk of cervical cancer. So this would be better.

"If you are a trans woman then you don't have a cervix so you cannot get cervical cancer and of course we cannot screen something that you do not have"

Perhaps a little pointer in the direction of a leaflet for prostate cancer checks? Whatever it should be very clear to prevent unnecessary confusion and worry for trans women?

Although PSA screening is not routinely carried out and therefore there is no comparable leaflet. The NHS don’t seem too worried about using the word ‘man’ here... www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/psa-testing/
I can’t see any mention of trans men or women here either.

MoltenLasagne the back of the leaflet has a plain English campaign logo

I was also wondering if the plain English campaign group would be interested. What does it mean if their logo is on there? Would they have read and approved?

But what about trans women who ARE women? According to Stonewall, as an agender woman I am also a trans woman. So as an extra speshul trans woman should I have or not have a cervical smear according to the NHS?

It's almost as though it would be simpler to start the leaflet off saying it's aimed at women, as defined by biology, however they identify individually (as that doesn't impact their cervix) and then just use that definition throughout.

I spoke to a GP once who said she thought it's only a matter of time before trans women start coming into the surgery to demand smear tests.

If I get that I’m amending it to add woman where it’s completely appropriate & sevding it back

We all should do that.

The Plain English campaign are quite happy for you to use their logo if you pay the fee, IIRC. I don't think they quality control anything.