Abstract
In “Effective Communication About Pregnancy, Birth, Lactation, Breastfeeding, and Newborn Care: The Importance of Sexed Language”, Gribble et al. argue that incorporating “sexed language” into perinatal services addresses the needs of people with diverse gender identities, while “desexed language” purportedly disadvantages cisgender women. We agree with Gribble et al. that effective communication is essential in promoting equitable perinatal care and advancing reproductive justice. However, we respectfully dispute their claim that “sexed language” promotes equitable perinatal care because it is based on scientific inaccuracies and misrepresentations. We also point out key areas where more thorough engagement with the literature leads to different conclusions. Finally, we note how their rhetorical strategies are harmful as they perpetuate the ongoing marginalization of women along with that of gender and sexual minorities
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1519979 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| Volume | 5 |
| DOIs |
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| Publication status | Published - 15 Jan 2025 |
Bibliographical note
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.Keywords
- gender equality
- health equality
- health disparities
- perinatal care
- sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
- inclusive language
