Health officials in the UK have ordered nurses at two hospitals to replace the term “breast milk” with “human milk” – part of a first-class effort to be more inclusive for trans and non-binary parents.
The terms “breastfeeding” and “breast milk” should be changed to more “generous” expressions in the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, the health center said in a 19-page document quoted by Sky News on Wednesday.
Instead, health professionals have been advised to use the terms “breast / breast milk”, “breast milk or nursing parent” and “human milk” to be more “inclusive for trans and non-binary people, without to exclude women’s language or motherhood “, the guidelines specify.
The hospital system announced on Monday the new language advice.
“Today we launch the first clinical and linguistic guidelines in the UK that support trans and non-binary births”, the hospital system posted on Twitter. “We are proud to take care of trans and non-binary people.”
Nurses were also urged to avoid the terms “mothers” and “women” on their own – unless specifically requested. Instead, they were asked to use gender-neutral terms, such as “parents” and “people,” according to the hospital system.
“As midwives and birth workers, we are focusing on improving access and health outcomes for marginalized and disadvantaged groups,” the hospital system said in a statement. “We consciously use the words ‘women’ and ‘men’ together to clarify that we are committed to working to address health inequalities for all who use our services.”
But the changes “do not apply when discussing or caring for people with individual abilities, in which language and documentation should reflect the gender identity of the individual,” said the hospital system.
On its website, the hospital system adds: “We recognize the additional challenges that gender identity can have on the pregnancy, birth and feeding of infants and recognize the importance of providing inclusive and respectful care to pregnant women and their families.”