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Original poster

NHS GP referring to “people with a uterus”

57 replies

LumenLights · 21/06/2026 14:30

My local GP surgery has been organising talks and events regarding endometriosis. They recently hosted an event which was open to sufferers and their friends and family - fair enough.

Most of the literature and social media posts from my surgery explicitly refer to women when talking about women, which is a relief.

However, I noticed they have posted a short video advertising an event in which a young male junior doctor proudly declares “endometriosis can affect anyone with a uterus” and doesn’t use the word “woman” or “female” at all. This has really pissed me off.

Is this still allowed? I thought we had left this nonsense behind. I want to complain but not sure the best way to do this, or if I have any right to in the first place.

I get the impression this young male doctor is very involved in the work they are doing around endometriosis, but I haven’t attended any of the events they have hosted so can’t comment on the language used in person.

OP posts:
nocoolnamesleft · 22/06/2026 10:10

MissingLynks · 22/06/2026 00:37

You've invented a hypothetical person with language comprehension issues who conveniently only understands the word you want to use and not any other, how handy for you. I could be childish and counter with "well what about someone who doesn't speak English at all so doesn't know the word 'woman' but does know the Latin word 'uterus'"? It's easy to invent a hypothetical gotcha.

But the fact is someone whose language comprehension fails on either front is likely to need - and will hopefully receive - extra support throughout the entire process of engaging with medical care (someone who doesn't know the word 'uterus' probably also doesn't know 'endometriosis' for starters) so will be able to have any words they don't know explained to them.

Meanwhile, simply saying "women" continues to include people for whom the information is not relevant and exclude people for whom it is.

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Stop being so fucking ableist.

WhereYouLeftIt · 22/06/2026 11:21

nocoolnamesleft · 22/06/2026 10:10

Stop being so fucking ableist.

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posted in error

onlytherain · 22/06/2026 23:12

theilltemperedamateur · 21/06/2026 23:22

Well, yes, but trans people who still have a uterus are women, and, as pointed out by PP, women born without a uterus can also get endometriosis.

It's excessively technical language, as well as being imprecise, and it's more useful to patients to just say that this is a condition that almost exclusively affects women.

Of course, it's interesting that some men (fewer than two dozen reported) have developed it, and that's the sort of quirky factoid that could be included in an information video.

I'm not aware of any instances in men with DSDs such as chimericism or persistent Müllerian duct syndrome, so uterine tissue doesn't have to be present: the current leading hypothesis appears to involve proliferation of rogue embryological remnants under the action of inflammation or œstrogen. Fascinating stuff.

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As far as I know, all men diagnosed with endo were on oestrogen therapy, so the endometriosis was a side effect of medication, not a spontaneously occurring disease.

Pistachiocake · 22/06/2026 23:33

Isitevensummer · 21/06/2026 15:04

Some Women may have had them removed?

Exactly, and can't this condition occur other places in your body too?
And men CAN have it-yes, it is very rare, but everyone has the right to treatment for a medical condition, just as a 20 year old who gets a condition that is nearly always a disease of old age should be treated.

Rednorth · 22/06/2026 23:38

MissingLynks · 22/06/2026 00:19

"People with a uterus" is not linguistic gymnastics, it's a short and comprehensible phrase, it's the only option which captures everyone relevant while not including anyone not relevant, and it can easily be explained to anyone who doesn't understand it.

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You know what, this MIGHT be valid if they did the same with men's health but they dont.

I am so sick of fucking handmaidens

Chersfrozenface · 23/06/2026 06:26

onlytherain · 22/06/2026 23:12

As far as I know, all men diagnosed with endo were on oestrogen therapy, so the endometriosis was a side effect of medication, not a spontaneously occurring disease.

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Correct - prolonged exposure to elevated oestrogen through prostate cancer treatments, cross sex hormones, obesity, or severe liver disease.

theilltemperedamateur · 23/06/2026 09:50

onlytherain · 22/06/2026 23:12

As far as I know, all men diagnosed with endo were on oestrogen therapy, so the endometriosis was a side effect of medication, not a spontaneously occurring disease.

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The œstrogen still needs something to act on, possibly embryological remnants from the Müllerian ducts (in female embryos these go on to form the uterus etc, in males they regress under the action of AMH produced by the testes). It's hoped that this insight, if correct, will help with finding a treatment.

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