A large contingent of Australian medical professionals are pushing back against attempts to create gender-neutral and diverse medical language over concerns that it may distort data and lead to severe errors in conducting procedures.
One hundred and twenty medical researchers, doctors, midwifery professors, and senior clinicians signed a letter addressed to peak funding body the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on Jan. 1.
The letter warns that such ambiguous language will blur the lines between biological sex and gender identity.
They suggest this exacerbates the female data gap—a theory suggesting that medical data is skewed due to its reliance on research predominantly involving biological men.
“Even when males and females experience the same disease, they may experience it very differently, irrespective of gender identity.”
The letter was prompted by a consultation paper from the NHMRC on the ethics of conducting medical research on pregnant women.
Another of the letter’s warnings is that medical professionals nationwide are facing institutional pressure to introduce gender-neutral language in research, practice, and policy despite their genuine beliefs on the topic.
Advocates of gender-neutral language argue that its introduction is essential to prevent discrimination against transgender individuals or those who identify with a gender they were not biologically born into.
They contend that failure to include diverse pronouns and terms encompassing a wide variety of gender identities will deter certain demographics from seeking medical care or even entering some professions.
For instance, Jessica Borger, a Melbourne-based immunologist, published a paper in June titled ‘From sex to biology: The case for gender-neutral language in science education.’
In her paper, Ms. Borger articulated why she believes standard binary terms to denote gender are harmful.
“For instance, the use of male pronouns when referring to doctors or researchers in scientific studies may perpetuate the idea that men are the dominant group in these fields, and that women are less capable or less involved.”
Ms. Borger also outlined her recommendation for educators to teach people to use gender-neutral language.
Sex and Gender Fluidity
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)—one of Australia’s most prominent health bodies—notes on its website the official distinction between sex and gender.The research agency defines sex identity as derived from a person’s biological characteristics, including their chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.
Conversely, it defines gender identity as linked to a person’s social and cultural identity based on their life experiences.
The organisation asserts that both gender and sex identities are malleable and can change over the course of a person’s lifetime.
The AIHW also acknowledges that usage of the terms male and female in its research reports will vary depending on where the data is sourced from.
This implies that the organisation’s definition of the terms male and female may change depending on whether the data provider classifies individuals based on gender or sex identity.
“In many of these instances, male or female may refer to either sex or gender, depending on the data source,” AIHW said.
“Most current data sources do not record sex and gender as separate concepts so it can be unclear which is the focus.”
