I just came out as GC at work, to the big boss and I feel a bit sick

[JustcameoutGC]

I have NCed for this. I have just outed myself as GC in work to the big boss (and some others cced in).

I was asked to sign off on something that I just couldn't and I said so, and explained why.

I literally feel sick. Like I have put a big fat GC target on my back. My org is totally woke. I wonder how many times my response has been forwarded already.

If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

Recogising the numbers of women who do not know they have a cervix and/or are unfamiliar with anatomical names for parts of their body has been the basis for campaigns to raise awareness of women's sex specific cancers. (see links upthead)

Sneering at those women unfamiliar (for whatever reason) with the cervix is not a good look.

@EdgeOfACoin

Oh for goodness sake.

MN is ridiculous for this. Absolutely ridiculous.

That's not really addressing the point raised, though, is it.

What? The end of the ridiculous OTT extreme example that someone with a learning disability doesn't know they have a cervix?

I am sick fed up of people pulling this card as a gotcha.

People with disabilities are not a gotcha moment.

If a human is categorised as a cervix however, and no other words are allowed to be connected to that organ, how do they know?

So if a child is never told if they are a girl or boy, how will they know if they have a cervix? Will someone come round and say 'you are the following: a uterus haver, a cervix haver, an ovary haver and after your first period you are a menstruator'? For boys you are a penis haver, prostrate haver, testicle haver and a sperm producer. I do wonder how they know which is which and what belongs together....

Still waiting for you to answer the question.

@Floisme

Still waiting for you to answer the question.

You want me to say because they are educated in school and at home so you can be clever and remind me that if cervix haver is a thing they won't.

Which is all very clever.

Except I point blank refuse to believe someone's TEENAGER daughter currently in existence somewhere between 13 and 18 doesn't know they have a cervix.

All I'm asking you to do is answer the question: How does a teenager know if they have a cervix?

@Butwasitherdriveway
Do you have children?
Do they understand what the prostate gland is and what it does ?
Do they understand what the cervix is and how it changes ?
Do you - well enough to allow them to understand how their bodies will change over the decades?

The job of health information
is to make sure as many people as possible
from all parts of society

DO UNDERSTAND
and for that, clear wording, not muddied by "inclusion" is needed.

My friend's mother has lived in the UK for nearly 30 years and still speaks very, very basic English. This is not unusual in the area in which she lives.

Does she, and other women like her (who were stay at home mothers) deserve information in a basic English format that they can understand?

Oh for goodness sake.

MN is ridiculous for this. Absolutely ridiculous.

How many languages can you recognise the word for ‘woman’ in? And how many languages can you recognise the phrase for ‘person with a cervix’ in? A woman who’s recently moved here and isn’t fluent in the language might know perfectly well that she has a Gebärmutterhals or a col de l'utérus or an emakakael but that doesn’t mean she knows the local word for it.

@EdgeOfACoin

My friend's mother has lived in the UK for nearly 30 years and still speaks very, very basic English. This is not unusual in the area in which she lives.

Does she, and other women like her (who were stay at home mothers) deserve information in a basic English format that they can understand?

Yes.

Your point ?

[quote Biscuitsanddoombar]Jo’s trust survey

43% of women don’t know what the cervix is

www.jostrust.org.uk/node/666780[/quote]
Thank you Biscuits.

This point is well worth repeating. Ignoring the statistics (even if they are 20% off - Ie 9% either way) it is still one third at least not knowing.

[quote ListeningQuietly]@Butwasitherdriveway
Do you have children?
Do they understand what the prostate gland is and what it does ?
Do they understand what the cervix is and how it changes ?
Do you - well enough to allow them to understand how their bodies will change over the decades?

The job of health information
is to make sure as many people as possible
from all parts of society

DO UNDERSTAND
and for that, clear wording, not muddied by "inclusion" is needed.[/quote]
No.

But I agree.

I never said I didn't.

What I can't handle is this faux stupidity peddled out.

Yes, it COULD be an issue in years to come if we remove the word cervix.

But no existing person in their teens or adulthood (except the token person who doesn't understand anything based on disabilities that PP use as a gotcha ) doesn't know they have a cervix.

My point is that my friend's mother undoubtedly understands the English word for 'woman' but probably not 'cervix haver'.

@EdgeOfACoin

My point is that my friend's mother undoubtedly understands the English word for 'woman' but probably not 'cervix haver'.

Yes.

I've never said I agree with the concept.

Yes.

I've never said I agree with the concept.

Oh, sorry. I thought you were getting frustrated at Mumsnet users pointing out that not everyone would understand certain biological terms.

Apparently not

@EdgeOfACoin

Yes.

I've never said I agree with the concept.

Oh, sorry. I thought you were getting frustrated at Mumsnet users pointing out that not everyone would understand certain biological terms.

Apparently not

No.

I was annoyed at the ridiculous posts claiming a living teenager at this time doesn't know they have a cervix.

Butwas
So you do not have children and yet you are so incredibly sure of your facts that you know more about all of our children than we do.

HOW
would a pre sexual teenager know if they have a cervix?
after all not all girls are born with one
HOW
would a pre sexual teenager know how to find a cervix?

@ListeningQuietly

Butwas So you do not have children and yet you are so incredibly sure of your facts that you know more about all of our children than we do.

HOW
would a pre sexual teenager know if they have a cervix?
after all not all girls are born with one
HOW
would a pre sexual teenager know how to find a cervix?

All of the children? No.

You need children to have an opinion now?

Nice.

If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

As a teenager, I didn't know, or have any interest in my body parts so I am one of those people you may have fake worry over.

Your sweeping judgement comes across as nasty and lacks understanding of anything other than your own experiences.

FYI - I have a job AND a life.

@Clarice99

If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

As a teenager, I didn't know, or have any interest in my body parts so I am one of those people you may have fake worry over.

Your sweeping judgement comes across as nasty and lacks understanding of anything other than your own experiences.

FYI - I have a job AND a life.

You didn't know you had a cervix? Hand on heart? Someone said do you have a cervix and you wouldn't know?

I'm not being nasty. I think it's total rubbish. And somewhat....patronising, of our nation's teenagers that they can't possibly know.

I was annoyed at the ridiculous posts claiming a living teenager at this time doesn't know they have a cervix.
The question - which everyone can see you still haven't answered - is how does a teenager know this?

Butwasitherdriveway

This faux stupidity drives me bonkers.

Well, can you answer the question?

If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

So that's a no then. A very obvious and transparent no.

@Butwasitherdriveway

Because its such a ridiculous straw man argument.

How does a teenager know anything about their body?

Here is the thing - you can't see your cervix. People can easily go through life not knowing it exists, just like they might not know they have ventricles. So it isn't self evident.

The point people are making is that we know we have a cervix, not usually because we have seen it, or seen any cervix at all, but because we know we are members of the reproductive class that has a cervix.

But if you decide that you can't have words for things like reproductive class, if "woman" or "female" are about how you feel, how can someone know whether they have a cervix or a prostate?

Of course in reality they probably will know - but that is the point. The point is they will know because we know that reproductive class is a valid category, and we are being asked to pretend it isn't, and ignore it's importance in society, law, etc.

@Butwasitherdriveway
If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

I went to school in the early 70s and at my school, sex education hadn't yet been heard of. Even with O level biology and degrees in English and Social Sciences, the word cervix just didn't come up. So I'm not at all surprised a teenager doesn't know whether or not htye have a cervix. No need to worry, though - I knew I was a woman and I managed to have an interesting career and a happy life.

[quote ImpassiveVoice]@Butwasitherdriveway
If someone doesn't know they have a cervix , I worry about them having a job and a life.

I went to school in the early 70s and at my school, sex education hadn't yet been heard of. Even with O level biology and degrees in English and Social Sciences, the word cervix just didn't come up. So I'm not at all surprised a teenager doesn't know whether or not htye have a cervix. No need to worry, though - I knew I was a woman and I managed to have an interesting career and a happy life.[/quote]
Yes.

But you are not a current teenager, are you?