British health officials have ordered nurses at two hospitals to replace the term “breast milk” with “human milk” – part of an initial effort to make inclusive and non-binary parents more inclusive.
The terms “breastfeeding” and “breast milk” should be exchanged for more “gender-inclusive” phrases in prenatal units of the NHS Trust, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital, the health center said in a 19-page document quoted by Sky News on Wednesday.
Instead, health professionals have been advised to use the phrases “breast / breast milk”, “breast or breastfeeding parent” and “human milk” to be more “including trans and non-binary births without changing the language of women” or motherhood, ”the guidelines state.
The hospital system announced the new language advice on Monday.
“Today we are launching the UK’s first clinical and language guidelines for the promotion of trans and non-binary births,” the hospital system said tweeted. “We are proud to care for trans and non-binary people.”
Nurses were also encouraged to avoid the terms “mothers” and “women” alone, unless necessary in specific cases. According to the hospital, they were asked to use gender-neutral terms such as ‘parents’ and ‘people’.
“As midwives and birth workers, we focus on improving access and health outcomes for marginalized and disadvantaged groups,” the hospital system said in a statement. “We use the words ‘women’ and ‘men’ together to make it clear that we are committed to addressing the inequalities in health for all who use our services. ‘
But the changes “do not apply when individuals are being discussed or cared for in a one-on-one capacity, where language and documentation must reflect the gender identity of the individual,” the hospital said.
The hospital system adds on its website: “We recognize the additional challenges that gender identity can pose to pregnancy, childbirth and infant nutrition, and realize the importance of providing inclusive, respectful care to pregnant people and their families.”