The NHS responded to my query about erasing women from their website

[pink85]

Been a lurker here for a while and saw the thread about the NHS erasing the word woman from biological women's cancers. This was the response email. What does everyone think? (also sorry if I do anything wrong, not posted here before but love the gender discussions which are always honest and fair as I believe in sex based reality and am on the side of JK)

Thank you for contacting the NHS Website service desk.
The NHS Website provides information for everyone. We aim to use language that is inclusive, respectful, and relevant to the people reading it.
We are working to improve content across the NHS website to make it clearer, easier to understand and more accessible. This includes improving the structure of the pages, writing in plain English, and improving the inclusivity of the language we use to ensure people get the correct clinical information.
As part of this work, we recently updated a number of our cancer topics. As a result of our user research, we made significant changes to how the information was originally structured.
We have not removed the word women from any of our cancer topics, we use it on the causes page when speaking about who is at risk. On topics like ovarian and cervical cancers, where we previously only mentioned "women" we now say "women, trans men, non-binary and intersex people with ovaries". This ensures anyone who could get these cancers can understand the information is relevant to them.
There are 1000s of pages of content on the website and doing this work takes time. Some cancers (such as ovarian, penile and anal cancer) have been updated already, whereas some still need to be updated (such as vulval and testicular cancer). This can lead to some differences in our content. We are working towards being clear and consistent across the website.
^You can find out more about our approach to inclusive content and writing about sex and gender here: service-manual.nhs.uk/content/inclusive-content/sex-gender-and-sexuality.^

(funny how the results on testicular cancer on the first page state men yet for cervical cancer it lists a whole load of people)

Well, that simply doesn't help those people at all. As the NHS would then be colluding with their wish to change sex. What needs to happen is that all trans people are reminded, at all stages of treatment, that their bodies do not change sex. That when it comes to medical needs they always need to look at the normal lifelong needs of their natal body as well as those specific to them and their additional interventions.

That way they become educated on their actual bodies and their additional requirements.

And nobody else need be confused.

So 95+% of people don't have to read NHS information sheets and wade through confounding data!

Because, as you so rightly say, even not very educated people still need healthcare!

How is it confusing you to say "women and xyz?"

I'm simply not getting why you want to prevent accessibility to healthcare for some groups of people based on how they choose to present and understand themselves.

If you understand that you're a woman, and you understand woman to mean adult human female, then in what possible way could you be confused by the NHS saying "women can get cervical cancer?" Why are you so insulted because they're trying to reach other females as well, who might not consider themselves women?

It. Still. Says. Women.

ayollar, ikkilik bo'lmagan va transmenlar

I don't read Uzbek. I speak enough to say "2 pints of beer and a packet of crisps please."

The only thing I can guess about that, as written, is that it is probably for transmen. So it doesn't apply to me.

Except it does, as I am a woman. Without the additional word salad I might have looked for longer.

That is what happens to women with little written English. I meet them every day. I know how hard it is for them to find the support, signposting to services and general everyday help they are entitled to and need.

That's why I object. Because it is objectionable and causes real issues.

I don't want anyone to miss any medical help. Which is why I suggested better transition care and clear communication about the reality of transitioning plus simple language in information sheets, posters etc.

Sensible, easy and clear!

Well that simply doesn't help your argument at all. If some people genuinely believe they have changed sex, then it's a stellar idea for the NHS to ensure their literature can be understood by those people. Even if you think they're not very well educated in biology. Not very educated people still need healthcare

This makes no sense, so you say not very well educated people are having their bodies altered with drugs/surgery and believe they are truly a different sex after.
Maybe these not very well educated people should not be put on this pathway in the first place. Maybe we should go right back to just male and female and quit with the demiqueerromantic shit. Simpler all round.
Or even as has been happening for time, call yourself any damn thing you want, absolutely no one cares. But you are either Male or female. End

call yourself any damn thing you want, absolutely no one cares. But you are either Male or female. End

Yep. This