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Original poster

Letter stressing the importance of the word woman in NHS communications

147 replies

2Rebecca · 24/02/2023 17:31

Apologies if posted before. I couldn't see a post on it. Yesterday the Clinical Advisory Network on sex and Gender CAN-SG which I am involved in published an open letter to NHS chiefs in the UK stressing the reasons why the word woman should be retained in NHS campaigns and literature.
The letter is here can-sg.org/2023/02/23/open-letter-to-nhs-chiefs-the-importance-of-the-word-woman/ if anyone wants to see it

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Boiledbeetle · 24/02/2023 23:34

I signed it earlier. Forgot to say

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 24/02/2023 23:36

Signed!

MsDemeanors · 24/02/2023 23:49

Thank you so much for posting this. Signed.

BornBlonde · 25/02/2023 03:45

Fantastic

Slothtoes · 25/02/2023 06:49

Fantastic letter, beautifully clearly expressed. Please can it also go to patient organisations, social care providers, research charities, health regulators, relevant government departments data collection systems and NHS Digital (or whateverit’s called now) and all the other bodies? Basically the whole health and social care system?

Slowgrowingelm · 25/02/2023 06:55

Signed

BatshitCrazyWoman · 25/02/2023 07:01

Signed.

BonfireLady · 25/02/2023 07:52

Also signed. What a fantastically articulated letter.

CallMeVal · 25/02/2023 07:54

Brilliant letter and I have signed it!

Sockbogies · 25/02/2023 08:11

Fantastic letter. Out of interest I compared the NHS website guidance for cervical cancer vs prostrate cancer.

The cervical cancer wording on the first page does not contain the word woman or female. On "causes" it says women can have cervical cancer along with trans men, intersex, etc
The prostrate cancer wording on the first page uses the words male, men, brothers, fathers. On "causes" there is no reference to any trans, intersex, etc

How can this be anything but discriminatory when the same guidance isn't applied equally?

Prestissimo · 25/02/2023 08:14

Great letter - thanks for your work on this OP. Signed as a GP and university lecturer.

HelloVeritas · 25/02/2023 08:17

Have signed, thankyou x

KohlaParasaurus · 25/02/2023 08:22

Signed, will share it.

AggieTop · 25/02/2023 08:23

Signed thank you.

Wazzzzzuuuuuuup · 25/02/2023 08:28

Signed and included my NHS position. This is madness. As a parent of a NB identifying young person I firmly believe in sex based language regarding physical health. I was having a detailed discussion with my dc yesterday regarding menstruation and managing pain. Whilst she may not like having a female body, she recognises that these words and conditions apply to her. In this world of political correctness gone mad we are also diminishing gender NCF/trans people by assuming they are unable to understand which words apply to their Biology.

Bowednotbroken · 25/02/2023 08:32

Thank you OP - wonderful to see this so sensibly written. Signed.

AtrociousCircumstance · 25/02/2023 08:38

Signed.

TeenDivided · 25/02/2023 08:39

signed

highame · 25/02/2023 08:40

Have signed.

It occurs to me that University is now a common option for young people but with that, the grades for getting into a University seem to be lower and the idea that this is an Academic pursuit has changed to an 'experience'. Those leaving University need jobs and the growth Industry is EDI. If you have limited Academic knowledge and then go making your mark in EDI, the consequences are likely to be ill thought out and frankly, bat shit crazy schemes

Wigeon · 25/02/2023 08:42

Anyone on this thread who works for a government department, or other public sector staff including devolved government departments, agencies, and their associated public bodies including arm’s length bodies, can join the newish Sex Equality and Equity Network seen-network.uk, which is campaigning on exactly this kind of issue.

I work in a very large NHS organisation and only last week was challenging the wording “9 out of 10 women and people experience mental health issues as a result of the menopause” in some comms about a staff event on menopause….

nothingcomestonothing · 25/02/2023 08:48

Signed, a brilliant letter!

Chersfrozenface · 25/02/2023 08:55

Signed.

Bazookapie · 25/02/2023 09:10

Signed.

hryllilegur · 25/02/2023 09:13

The NHS doesn’t fall within the gov.uk service standard remit, but they should really be following similar principles in their content design. They even claim that their website is written to the government service standard.

See here (www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk) for information on language and meeting user needs. There is simply no excuse for using terminology that is confusing, over complex and isn’t how the people information applies to speaks about themselves.

Zebratan · 25/02/2023 09:17

Brilliant OP

I particularly noticed that my smear test reminder this week did use the word woman.
I was pleased to see it.

Mine said women, people with a cervix and people assigned female at birth Hmm. The word people was used a lot. That's NHS Scotland though.