Gender not sex on medical consent form - UPDATE

[TheShoesa]

It's been a long time coming, but I have finally had a response to a query about my children's flu vaccination consent forms asking for gender rather than sex.

Previous thread (from 2018!) www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/a3384328-Gender-rather-than-sex-on-medical-form

The wording on the local consent forms is from a national template. So I need to follow that up with NHS England and PHE - although I contacted both in 2018 and got nowhere.

BUT The person I emailed last autumn accepted the points I raised and said that perhaps using 'gender' was not appropriate in this day and age and that the local unit would no longer use it on forms with immediate effect

It feels like a small win for accuracy, but I will wait and see what is on the forms this autumn before believing it.

However the email went on to say that the issue would be raised with the equality and inclusion team and I would get a further response, so it may yet be overturned. I imagine a compromise would be to have both sex and gender identity on the form if the E&I team feel the need for the word gender to be on there. If that happens I can just ignore that question or write 'none'

Okay - so this is the link I was referring to. I was told:

"We are asked by the NHS to note what the patient wants noted about themselves. In particular we are required by the NHS to do so as part of modern record keeping international standards www.hl7.org/fhir/patient.html"

But more worryingly (which I didn't digest at the time) this seems to have come about because of pressure from WHO to "mainstream" gender. Their directive is really worrying:

“Mainstreaming gender is both a technical and a political process which requires shifts in organizational cultures and ways of thinking, as well as in the goals, structures and resource allocations.... Mainstreaming requires changes at different levels within institutions, in agenda setting, policy-making, planning, implementation and evaluation. Instruments for the mainstreaming effort include new staffing and budgeting practices, training programmes, policy procedures and guidelines.” www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-determinants/gender/gender-definitions

And yet the opening text on the WHO link says:

Gender is used to describe the characteristics of women and men that are socially constructed, while sex refers to those that are biologically determined. People are born female or male, but learn to be girls and boys who grow into women and men. This learned behaviour makes up gender identity and determines gender roles.

So clear that their is a difference.

I am not clear on what is meant by 'mainstreaming gender' even with your explanation above! Trying to be positive about it, could it mean ensuring resources are used for males and females equally regardless of gender?

that there is a difference

I'm quite tired but have been thinking this over and think NHS England have misread the guidance from WHO.

Isn't the guidance saying facilities should be provided in the knowledge that gender stereotyping (which can lead to women being treated less favourably etc., not being in as good a place to access services) could lead to a second tier service for women.

Not anything to do with asking being to identify as a gender.

I do see how any part of the guidance is an instruction to record gender identity rather than sex.

Thanks for fighting the fight!

I had to laugh at the absurdity today. I was filling out a quote for some pet insurance and had to state the gender of my dog. I had no idea my dog had a gender! I haven’t actually asked her if she identifies as a female...hope she doesn’t get upset with me if I accidentally misgender her!

Sorry - tired typing corrections:

Not anything to do with being asked to identify as a gender.

I do NOT see how any part of the guidance is an instruction to record gender identity rather than sex.

(we need a sleepy emoji)

[tired]