The importance of using 'pregnant people' and other gender-inclusive language.

"Justifying the Use of 'Pregnant People' and Other Gender-Inclusive Terms"

Why do some individuals prefer to use neutral terms when others argue that only women can get pregnant or men possess penises?

Those advocating for gender-neutral language strive to recognize the reality that sex and gender don't always align. According to psychiatrist Dr. Jack Drescher, who served as the past president of the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry and presently teaches at Columbia University in New York City, these individuals want to accommodate people whose gender identity doesn't correspond with their biological sex. He contends that employing such language is the most comprehensive, straightforward method to address everyone, regardless of their gender identity, who possesses certain anatomy or biological capacities.

Keygan Miller, the director of public training at The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, further elaborates, "We need to educate people better and understand that sex and gender exist on a spectrum. They're not the same."

Learn more about the disparity between gender, sex, and other essential concepts: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/worklife/2019/10/07/gender-identity-difference-gender-sex-other-need-to-knows/387187791/

Below are the viewpoints of experts regarding these linguistic changes and the concerns that emerged from them.

What is the distinctions between sex and gender?

A person's sex is a label assigned at birth based on biological characteristics indicative of maleness or femaleness, as indicated by their chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and genitals.

On the other hand, gender is a social construct and social identity associated with specific attitudes, emotions, and behaviors culturally associated with a person's biological sex.

Approximately 1.6 million individuals aged 13 to 17 in the United States identify as transgender, according to the University of California, Los Angeles' Williams Institute, a law center at UCLA studying sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. Transgender individuals are those with a gender identity that doesn't align with their sex, while nonbinary individuals are those who don't solely identify as either gender.

The usage of gender-neutral language could be traced back two decades, but it has gained traction significantly in the last five years, according to Miller and Dr. Dennis Baron, professor emeritus of English and linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"As our understanding of gender has developed, along with our understanding of inclusion, we're seeing more and more of these terms being used," Miller stated.

Why is inclusive language crucial in healthcare?

Along with recognizing the distinction between gender and sex, vocabulary like "pregnant people" acknowledges intersex individuals (people born with reproductive anatomy or genes outside the male-female binary) and the different ways gender-diverse individuals express their gender identity. While a trans man may have undergone gender-affirming treatment such as pulling out, inserting, or altering the appearance of specific sexual characteristics like a vagina or breasts, this doesn't necessarily mean he can't get pregnant. In fact, this can even occur in trans men who are taking testosterone.

While some people may believe a trans man can't get pregnant, they may have undergone gender-affirming care that involves removing, adding, or altering the appearance of specific sex characteristics like a vagina or breasts. However, these procedural differences don't preclude every trans or nonbinary person from becoming pregnant. Intersex people are those with reproductive anatomy or genes that don't comply with the male-female binary, often discovered at birth.

Dr. Dennis Baron, author of "What's Your Pronoun?: Beyond He and She" explains, "In terms of healthcare, it's not simply a matter of being inclusive or courteous; it's a matter of medical accuracy."

Gender-neutral language helps medical professionals acknowledge their patients' gender identity more effectively, considering the clinical implications of such perceptions.

Additionally, there is widespread support for gender-inclusive language from various medical associations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Institutes of Health.

"It's not just about being inclusive or well-mannered; it's about being medically precise," said Baron.

The manner in which medical professionals perceive and address patients can influence whether a gender-diverse person feels comfortable or reluctant to seek medical help.

Finally, a skeptic of gender-neutral language may perceive it as undermining the experiences of cisgender individuals. This view, however, ignores the fact that there are gender-neutral terms for the genitalia or biological functions of those assigned male at birth; it's just that terms like "pregnant people" or "people with uteruses" have been more widely publicized due to ongoing political discussions surrounding reproductive rights.

With the abundance of "ciswomen and cismen" who make up a large majority, it's impossible for language to eliminate them, as Drescher points out. This doesn't diminish the significance of the challenges faced by certain groups, experts clarified. Instead, using broader language aims to include those who have been previously excluded.

Baron remarked, "You can't dismiss it by saying, 'Oh, these terms are fabricated, so they're invalid.' All language is constructed, and we create it to express our ideas."

Additionally, phrases like "women can only give birth" exclude more than just intersex individuals and the LGBTQ community. This is because they can also imply that a ciswoman who can't conceive is no longer fully a woman.

Gender-inclusive language might merely appear to be words, but studies have shown that acceptance holds vital importance for transgender and nonbinary people, on both a medical and psychological level.

"Recognition of one's existence and the ability to openly discuss oneself," Baron continued, "is an integral part of feeling validated. And this can have significant impacts on their well-being and sense of belonging."