Require the use of sexed language in government-funded health communications
Require the terms woman, girl and mother be used in their sexed meanings of adult female person, female child and female parent in government-funded healthcare groups and communications including policy and guidance documents, legislation and public health communications.
Signatures
12,139
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 12,139/100,000
- 01 OCT 2025Petition closedFinal total: 12,139 signatures
- 05 SEPT 2025Government respondedDepartment of Health and Social CareGovernment reply
DHSC’s longstanding position is that health information should be as clear as possible and language should be used that appropriately reflects sex as defined in the Equality Act 2010.
Read full response - 12 AUG 202510,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 01 APR 2025Petition opened for signatures
Background
The Women's Health Strategy for England says sex-specific language should be used 'to communicate matters that relate to women’s and men’s individual health issues, and their different biological needs. However, that increasingly communications of all kinds related to women's health in the UK are being desexed. We believe this goes against well-established principles of health communication and risks confusion, inappropriate inclusion, and miscommunication and so undermines women's health and rights.