Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Sajid Javid promises to 'reverse' gender-neutral language from NHS guidance for menopause

“To give the best possible care to the public common sense and the right language should be used.”

Sajid Javid promises to 'reverse' gender-neutral language from NHS guidance for menopause

BRITISH health secretary Sajid Javid has promised to reverse gender-neutral language in NHS advice after health chiefs removed the term 'women' from guidance for menopause and womb cancer.

On Tuesday (28), MailOnlineexposed how 'women' and 'woman' had been scrubbed from online guidance for menopause. 


Earlier, ministers had promised to crackdown on woke gender-free language in medical advice.

In May, MailOnline revealed how NHS digital had quietly scrubbed all mention of women from its landing pages for ovarian, womb and cervical cancer.

According to Javid, in order to give the best possible care to the public common sense and the right language should be used.

"Language matters. I have made clear that the word ‘woman’ should not be removed from key women’s health pages. I have been assured that the changes highlighted below, as well as others, are being reversed," Javid wrote on Twitter on Wednesday (29).

In its online overview about menopause, NHS advice used to contain six gender-specific mentions. But it was updated on May 17 to remove the terms.

According to experts, de-gendering medical advice could be dangerous for women by over-complicating vital health messaging.

Meanwhile, NHS digital, which manages health information webpages, said that it wanted to ensure the language was 'inclusive'.

Menopause is a natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s. It is signalled by 12 months since the last menstruation.

Common symptoms include hot flashes and vaginal dryness. There may also be sleep disturbances. Experts said that increased awareness about the condition means an increasing number of women are coming forward for advice or medication.

The new, gender-neutral description says: 'Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels'.

The old advice also highlighted that menopause usually occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55, but about one in 100 women experience it before 40.

The NHS webpage on menopause used to describe the condition as 'when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally'.

But none of this information is included in the overview section of the updated webpage, MailOnline report said.

The first mention of 'women' in the new version is on the third page, in a section about drugs to treat the condition.

Dr Karleen Gribble, an expert in nursing and midwifery from Western Sydney University in Australia, said that the risk of de-sexing this information remains that women who have low English or health literacy may not know that the information applies to them.

According to her, the new version of the page violates a 'basic principle' of health communication that identifies who the information is for.

Currently, there are concerns about trans-inclusive language in NHS guidance, with services currently in a 'woke' storm about de-gendering language surrounding women and pregnancy by erasing terms like breastfeeding.

Responding to MailOnline report, an NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS 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."

More For You

Voices of Faith - Day 2: A profound confluence of spirituality, music, and dialogue

Barnaby Rogerson in conversation with Anthony Sattin (L) on day 2 of Voices of Faith

Voices of Faith - Day 2: A profound confluence of spirituality, music, and dialogue

Mahesh Liloriya

The second day of Voices of Faith unfolded with an enchanting blend of music, philosophy, and intellectual exploration at the Barbican Centre, London. This inaugural festival, curated by Teamwork Arts—the force behind the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) and JLF London—has been made possible by the Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust, with the support of Tech Mahindra. Eastern Eye and Garavi Gujarat serve as the official media partners, amplifying the festival’s reach and resonance.

Session 1- Echoes of eternity: The timeless notes of Kabir

Keep ReadingShow less
starmer-immigration

Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, Starmer said the government is working to restore order to the immigration system.

UK returns 24,000 illegal migrants since July, highest in eight years

THE UK government has returned over 24,000 individuals with no legal right to remain in the country since July, marking the highest rate of removals in eight years, prime minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.

Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, Starmer said the government is working to restore order to the immigration system.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Aga Khan dedicated his life to service, peace, and pluralism'

Baroness Patricia Scotland speaks at an Iftar dinner held at the Ismaili Centre in London (Photo: The Ismaili National Council for the United Kingdom)

'Aga Khan dedicated his life to service, peace, and pluralism'

THE outgoing head of the Commonwealth has paid tribute to the late Prince Karim Aga Khan, describing him as a visionary leader whose lifelong dedication to service, peace, and pluralism has left a lasting impact on the world.

Speaking at an Iftar dinner held at the Ismaili Centre in London last Wednesday (26), Baroness Patricia Scotland, who steps down as Commonwealth secretary general on 1 April, reflected on her personal connection with the Aga Khan, recalling their meetings during Commonwealth Day celebrations at Westminster Abbey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Trump-Getty

Trump has suggested the possibility of a 'great' trade deal that could help the UK mitigate the impact of tariffs he has pledged to introduce. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starmer, Trump talk trade deal progress in 'productive' discussion

KEIR STARMER and Donald Trump spoke on Sunday about ongoing UK-US trade negotiations, with Downing Street describing the talks as "productive."

Since leaving the European Union, the UK has been working to secure a trade agreement with the United States. Successive British governments have pursued a deal, but it has remained elusive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Myanmar-quake-rescue-Reuters

Rescuers carry the body of a victim during search and rescue operations, following a strong earthquake, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30. (Photo: Reuters)

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 1,700, UK pledges £10m in aid

RESCUE efforts continued in Myanmar as residents searched for survivors in collapsed buildings in Mandalay, two days after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the country. The disaster has killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and 17 in neighbouring Thailand.

The quake hit near Mandalay on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. The tremors caused widespread destruction, damaging buildings, bridges, and roads in the city of more than 1.7 million people.

Keep ReadingShow less