From the Medical Front: “This kind of erasure is a slap in the face to women”
“I was instructed, by a state-mandated medical textbook, that those with female anatomy should be referred to as ‘people with vaginas’ and in some circumstances, ‘birthing people.’”
Women hold 76% of all Healthcare jobs. I know this because I’m about to be one of them. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in radiological science, with a minor in mammography. I’ve made the decision to dedicate my studies to women, because we have been underrepresented in healthcare for centuries.
For example, in 2005, Urologist Helen O’Connell made history by being the first to push for a greater anatomical understanding of the clitoris. Women’s health has been playing catch-up with the rest of the healthcare field for a long time. Our bodies have been deemed sinful, dirty, and unworthy of any consideration outside of sexual attention for the past millennia. Recently, however, a big turning point has been reached in medicine. Since women are now adequately and generously represented in the field, we’ve seen advancements in gynecology, obstetrics, and women’s oncology. Words like clitoris, vagina, vulva, labia, ovary, and uterus are now freely thrown around classrooms, operating rooms, emergency departments, and within the walls of your general practitioner’s office. However, they will soon be seldom accompanied by the word “woman.”
The first instance of this that I noticed was in one of my early classes in health science: medical terminology. I was instructed, by a state-mandated medical textbook, that those with female anatomy should be referred to as “people with vaginas” and in some circumstances, “birthing people.” When I read this, I was shocked. Do we not remember how hard women have fought to be included in medicine? How long it has taken to have our bodies accurately represented? I have no problem respecting someone’s pronouns if they ask me to. But why is it no longer the common assumption that someone with a clitoris, vulva, vagina, and a uterus isn’t a woman? I was presented with no equivalent of this for men. No mention of “people with penises,” or “sperm providing individuals.” I’m sure that this exists as a guideline somewhere in the world, however, I noticed immediately that using this language for males was not expected of me in this institution.
This kind of erasure is a slap in the face to women who have been victims of medical gaslighting, malpractice, and misinformation about the structure and function of their anatomy. Combined with the recent legislature on women’s reproductive rights, it’s pure insanity.
Woman is not a bad word.
- KAB
Letters From the Front is a series from WoLF curating stories from women about how “gender identity” ideology has impacted them. We’ll share new letters, submitted anonymously, each week. Write in to share your own story!
WoLF does not necessarily endorse the content of Letters.