The Times on NHS dropping the word 'woman'

[ErrolTheDragon]

An article and column today on the use of so-called ' inclusive' language replacing clear simple terms on the main pages of topics important to womens health. Nothing we didn't know about, I think, but states the problems clearly.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hiding-the-word-women-in-health-advice-is-dangerous-nhs-told-3jzffk65s?shareToken=315bddf65277611ec2b49d7f370d5c24

And

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-times-view-on-hiding-the-word-women-from-nhs-advice-healthy-language-hpjxd83hb?shareToken=9349ce4d1ae4b77ada706005749fd1c7

I read this in the early hours when I couldn't sleep and what struck me the most was that all these companies bending over backwards to become inclusive are only inclusive in one way.

all these companies bending over backwards to become inclusive are only inclusive in one way

Why should they care about anyone who doesn't have a proper stripey flag?

all these companies bending over backwards to become inclusive are only inclusive in one way

I have yet to see any disability activists insisting that the word leg be removed from the language as it is triggering for those without the use of their legs.

It has all gone too far now. These public bodies need to row back and have plain commonly used words than most can understand.

Struck by this:

Dr Karleen Gribble of Western Sydney University, lead author of a recent review on the importance of sexed language in birth and childcare, said: “I think that the changes to desex language are well intentioned, but we are seeing that they are making communications less clear and when it comes to critical health issues that has great potential to place the health and wellbeing of individuals at risk.”

While NHS web pages do refer to women under subheadings, Gribble said it was important to signal the target audience at the outset when communicating about people’s health. “The very first thing needs to be who does this apply to - who needs to listen to the rest of this?” she said. “Then you can give them information.”

Gribble said people without English as a first language, had low literacy or were from poorer backgrounds already tended to have worse health outcomes and engagement with health systems. “There needs to be more frank discussion around this, and thinking [about] what is the best way to approach things,” she said.

Gribble's paper is here: www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2022.818856/full