'Anyone With A Cervix'

[User456987]

I don't know what's worse here. 'Anyone with a cervix' (so presumably including infant girls??), the complete absence of the word women, or the #dropyourpants hashtag.

🤮

Sorry have no appropriate words.

Someone, please, make it stop

I'm afraid that is the standard wording now, I've just had my letter calling me as a woman or someone with a cervix. World has gone mad.

That's so off-putting.

#DropYourPants

#WeAreAllSmearReady

Both revolting.

@murbblurb

I'm afraid that is the standard wording now, I've just had my letter calling me as a woman or someone with a cervix. World has gone mad.

I have less objection to that TBH. As long as the word woman is used, given that so many woman don't even know what a cervix is, or that they have one.

And to all those who think this attack on language is nothing against women, and it goes both ways...

Medical definition of male:
www.medicinenet.com/male/definition.htm

Medical definition of female:
www.medicinenet.com/female/definition.htm

Who is 'all' in the #WeAreAllSmearReady? I'm envisaging a welcoming line of PPE protected HCPs outside the clinics, speculums aloft to form a guard of honour?

Both vile and vomit inducing. Probably dreamed up by a woke bro idiot of a man. Sorry, that should be penis owner/wanker, shouldn’t it - one must be inclusive.

I had hoped that the extensive coverage of Stonewall’s batshittery would have made people think again about this sort of language. Alas, not yet

@SengaMac

#DropYourPants

#WeAreAllSmearReady

Both revolting.

repulsive language.

good ratio though twitter.com/Govgg/status/1401837830339547143

Shitting hell horizons I am literally open mouthed at those definitions!

FFS surely they know how many women avoid going for a smear because it's embarrassing - however much you know why it's necessary.
Drop your pants. Good grief. What's next #spreadyourlegs
Am amazed at how tone deaf this health message is.

Just amazing. Is being smear ready like being beach ready? Such sexist language but completely avoids the use of woman.

It gets increasingly ridiculous if you actually click through to their campaign page. Here's an extract:

"As a way of raising awareness, Choices in collaboration with Primary Care, The Orchard Centre and Bright Tights, are launching a 'Hang your Pants' and a 'Drop your Pants' craftivism campaign. This increasing common approach of combining a desire to change social behaviours and craft is a fun way of prompting discussion around a subject that is sometimes considered taboo.

Health Connections have kindly committed window display space in their Smith Street shop for 3 weeks from 7 June for visitors to pop in and decorate some pants to hang up in the window, take selfies and post on their social media feeds with the hashtags #WeAreAllSmearReady and #HangYourPants. Information will be available at Health Connections detailing where free cervical cancer screening is available in the Bailiwick.

Staff from Choices and the Guernsey Soroptimists will be crafting small pairs of pants in the form of badges, painted stones etc to place around the Island for people to pick up, take selfies and post on their social media feeds with the hashtags #WeAreAllSmearReady and #DropYourPants. Labels will be attached to the pants detailing where free cervical cancer screening is available in the Bailiwick."

Craftivism???

Revolting as this campaign is, it's worth reading the comments on Twitter if you can. The pushback is brilliant and some of the comments are hilarious, especially the one about 'which other hash tags did you consider'.

HANG your pants? WHAT?

Well now we know it was written by a Man. All the cervix-havers I know discretely tuck their pants inside their trousers, folded up safe and on a nearby chair when they're having a smear . Are we actually supposed to be hanging them over the curtain rail, or on some kind of hook? Maybe running them up the hospital flag-pole?

#liebackandthinkofengland
No?

I always understood that men had pants and women had knickers. Still I suppose there's a pair of y-fronts there too

@Feelinghothothottoday

Just amazing. Is being smear ready like being beach ready? Such sexist language but completely avoids the use of woman.

I imagine it IS meant to be like beach ready, and they think it will encourage women who put off smears because they are embarrassed about the appearance of their vulvas or think they need to wax or "tidy up" or something. It almost seems as though they don't realise the many and complex reasons that smear tests are very difficult for some women.

[quote Horizons83]And to all those who think this attack on language is nothing against women, and it goes both ways...

Medical definition of male:
www.medicinenet.com/male/definition.htm

Medical definition of female:
www.medicinenet.com/female/definition.htm[/quote]
I sent some feedback to the editor at www.medicinenet.com/contact_us/article.htm

"Hi. Having just read the medical definitions of male and female in your MedTerms Medical Dictionary, I am confused. Your definition of male is simple and only refers to sex but your definition of female conflates sex and gender. My understanding is that the terms male and female refer to sex only and, while there are obviously some chromosomal exceptions to the binary definition, gender should not be included as part of the definition.

I would have thought a medical dictionary would be much clearer in its definitions, particularly as the medical needs of males and females can be quite different in some areas."

I’d rather see a campaign to stop calling it a fucking smear.

@OchonAgusOchonOh Please do let me know what response you receive!

What a tone deaf campaign. If I put the absence of the word woman to one side the hash tags are awful.
I get anxious about going for a smear and it's nothing at all to do with pants, being embarrassed or how things look - it's after some very traumatic examinations during an equally traumatic labour and birth experience.

Drop Your Pants? Fucking hell. So, smear is about being shag-ready?
Cervix-haver? Fuck your arse. Woman.
Hang Your Pants? What do they even mean?

Are they talking about my knickers?

Smear ready? Oh, the nurse was so particular, she said I ought to have waxed before I arrived. No, she didn't. She got on with the job without fuss.

Drop your pants, Guernsey public health services, and bend over ready for the thrashing of your lives. Look to what's going on in your own back yard.