As the voices asking for a more gender-inclusive world grow louder, NHS has removed the terms ‘women’ and ‘woman’ from its menopause page in its latest update to increase inclusive language on its web pages.
Notably, it had recently removed the same words from its landing pages for ovarian, womb, and cervical cancer too.
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The move was, however, criticised by UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who told Daily Mail, “You won’t be surprised to know that, as the Health Secretary, I think that your sex matters, your biological sex is incredibly important to make sure you get the right treatment, the very best treatment.”
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“I know there’s some sensitivity around this language, but we have to use common sense and use the right language so that we can give people the best possible patient care,” he added.
Previously, the menopause page read: “The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.”
“The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.”
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Now, the page states, “Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.”
Talking about the development, an NHS Digital spokesperson told MailOnline that the website provides information for everyone. “We keep the pages under continual review to ensure they use language that is inclusive, respectful, and relevant to the people reading it.”
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