Desexing of language in women’s health research and care

[DrKarleenG]

My chapter from The War on Science on the desexing of language in women's health has been republished in Quilette. This chapter was not included in the UK edition of the book, so thought would share here. The Quilette article is accompanied by figures showing the spread of this language from the US and with a recording of me reading it.
quillette.com/2026/03/03/erasing-the-word-woman-trans-healthcare-mothers-breastfeeding/

Thanks, I'll listen later, I feel cheated that it wasn't in the book I brought. 😠

Thank you.
That's a deeply depressing piece with the impact of toxic transactivism in the universities and healthcare laid bare.

The levels of institutional disrespect and open hostility to women are shocking. How have we allowed such rampant misogyny to get such a hold on society?

Thanks Karleen. What gets me is that it only language around women that gets erased? Men aren't reduced to prostate-havers or sperm-producers.

Thank you. As a healthcare professional who works in infant feeding I love your work and thank you for the clarity you bring to the messy tangles of language we find ourselves in.

Thank you. As someone with daughters with learning disabilities, it infuriates me that society is moving away from inclusion for them in favour of prioritising the feelings of trans people who clearly understand biology based language.

On a flippant note, I referred to my DH and male DC as the "penis-wielders of the house" and my youngest DC nearly cried laughing. I think de-sexing in men's health could catch on 😂😂😂

Thank you. This is very much needed. I attended a lecture this week which among other things discussed the pregnant state. It’s like women no longer even count as human.

Can you imagine “the swollen testicle state” or “enlarged prostate state” being used?

Is it okay to ask why it wasn't included?

And in the editions were it was included was there any "hostile" response.

Seems a strange decision.

Sorry!

Sorry about that, the publisher chose what would be in the UK edition and I think mine may not have met the cut because I'm not British and also, women's health and motherhood might be viewed as "too niche."