NHS bosses were today urged to use ‘women’ and ‘Mrs’ again on health pages across the internet.
Gender-specific terms have been quietly dropped from official advice websites as part of a vigilant inclusivity push.
Sites about ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer, and menopause, which only biological women can suffer from, were affected by the changes.
Ministers, including former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, have pledged to crack down on the practice, but action is yet to be taken.
Here are some examples of the wake language changes that have gripped NHS communications. Some of these examples are taken from national NHS communications, while others are used by individual hospitals
The old version of the 30 December 2021 NHS ovarian cancer page (left) specifically mentions women twice, while the new version (right) omits it
The NHS has quietly removed the terms ‘women’ and ‘female’ from its menopause website. Here’s the older version of the menopause summary page (May 16), which women mentioned six times
But a more recent version omits women altogether. Experts have warned women could be harmed by gender-neutral medical advice that confuses health messages
Now a group of 1,400 activists have started an open letter demanding immediate action the Sex and Gender Clinical Advice Network (CAN-SG).
Signatories include doctors, nurses and healthcare providers.
The letter is addressed to NHS directors, chaplains and senior nurses from across the UK.
CAN-SG said the changes “have gone unnoticed in recent years.”
Activists claimed the scrub was discriminatory as conditions for men were not as badly affected.
They also claimed that patients found the updated language “dehumanizing”, making it less clear who the “intended audience” of such advice is.
Experts have long warned that gender-neutral medical advice can be dangerous for women because it overcomplicates important health messages.
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The group said the NHS website was a “specific, important source of health information for everyone” but the word “woman” had been phased out.
She accuses the health service of “reducing” the word “woman” to phrases such as “anyone with a cervix” and not explaining that ovaries are female reproductive organs.
The changes were made without conducting a gender impact assessment, consulting the public, considering how women would feel, or analyzing how they might affect women’s health.
The health service also did not seek legal advice on whether its actions were discriminatory.
CAN-SG spokesperson DR Louse Irvine said: “The incredible response to this letter – over 1,400 signatures in 24 hours – shows how deeply patients and clinicians feel about this issue.
“The NHS needs to take these views to heart: Accurate gender-sensitive language is important to ensure life-saving health communications are understood by those for whom they are intended and to instill respect for women, their bodies and their health concerns.
“For example, awareness and acceptance of cervical cancer screening among women is declining.
“Many women don’t know they have a cervix – or that cervical screening is life-saving – so a phrase like ‘anyone with a cervix’ means nothing to them.”
“That’s why we need simple, clear language when we talk about women’s health.
“Many women find it disrespectful that the word ‘woman’ is removed from communication about their health and it undermines trust in that communication.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
