Been asked my gender on a FIT form - how to challenge?

[FatLarrysBanned]

I have to send off a sample and the form inside the pack for the lab asks for the usual details but also my gender m/f? There is an option to give feedback on the process which I would like to do. How does the following sound?

"The form inside the pack for the GP to complete should refer to sex not gender. This is particularly important when dealing with medical matters. However a person chooses to identify regarding their gender preference has no impact on their biological make up and should accurately reflect their sex at birth. Sex and gender should not be conflated, they are 2 separate and distinct identities. One is a medical fact and the other is a social construct."

I've never really put my head over the parapet before so I'd really appreciate some reassurance that my comment makes sense. Why would my gender be needed for the testing of a poo sample?

Does it ask for sex anywhere? If the gender options are only m/f then I would assume they are being “polite” in using gender rather than sex, and politely correct them pointing out they should be saying sex (identified) at birth. If it’s m/f/trans/other I’d go in blazing as you say!

Just cross out the word gender and put sex?

Doesn't mention sex anywhere on the form (just name, NHS number, name of GP practice, DOB, date sample collected and gender m/f)

They're asking your sex for research etc.

So that they can identify trends, E.g. females 30-35 are getting more results for X

I will do but they've also asked for feedback (sent me a url link) for feedback on the process so I wanted to raise it specifically.

But they're not asking for my sex. They're asking for my gender. I could put male if I identified as a man but biologically I'm still a 48 year old woman.

OP'S whole point is that this is precisely what they're NOT doing.

I think your draft response sounds fine.
Definitely send it. As you have correctly pointed out, sex matters - particularly in relation to medical matters.

This is what they’re NOT doing hence the thread 🤦‍♀️

I’d cross it out and write “sex”, as well as send what you’ve written.

Every little bit helps, as a well known supermarket is fond of telling us.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Your feedback response is fine, explains your issue. Thank you for doing this. Every single pushback is important and encourages others to do the same.

🙄

It is.

Do you believe that sex and gender are the same thing? If so, do you believe you can change sex?

I had to fill out a form yesterday about my medical information and it asked what gender I was. I crossed out gender, wrote sex and female next to it.

They will be able to tell your sex from
your NHS number anyway (odd = male, even = female, and IIRC trans people with a GRC have a number starting with 7).

I'd maybe just mention:
The form asks for gender. Does that refer to gender identity or does it mean sex?

Maybe we need to question this every time we see it. If organisations have to waste staff time answering these types of questions they will make it clearer.

Do you identify male/female?

Humans cannot ‘identify’ into a sex. That assumes you have a choice in it. You dont.

Oh FFS. You know what they mean. Just tick one and move on with your life.

This annoys me too OP. I often cross out gender and put sex.

It's more problematic at work as HR is a bit captured where I am. I often keep my head down and don't complain if gender is mentioned.

That’s what I’d do. FIT test is a stool sample to check for cancer signs.

Being female doesn’t change the test parameters when they analyse your feces.

I would save the gender vs sex complaint for a test where sex does matter, ie blood tests because the parameters are based on age and sex.

Your draft response is great. Totally agree this always needs to be challenged for medical matters.

Not sure if this is the right thread to share. I did my first online consultation for my GP this week (for DS) and was very surprised to be asked sex: male/ female. (There may have been another option but there wasn't many).

Oh good, I thought. Then an apology for asking popped up, along with plans to do away with having to know altogether later this year. "It's not ideal" to have to know if your sex and gender identity are the same, apparently. At the doctors.

On the confirmation of details page, sex had changed to gender. Make it make sense.

I had exactly this a couple of weeks ago! The apology really annoyed me. Wonder if it's a thing happening across the country? (Or are you in the south-west?)

I wouldn't say this "they are 2 separate and distinct identities."

Sex isn't an "identity" as you've given onto say it's a fact.