UK’s biggest cervical cancer charity shuts down disgustingly transphobic lie that ‘only females get cervical cancer’

Trans men 'less likely' to go for smear tests than cis women, doctors say

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust says “everyone with a cervix” should have access to support and information about cervical cancer and smear tests, including trans and non-binary people, after a disgusting Twitter campaign by transphobes.

The UK’s leading cervical cancer charity was responding to a hashtag that trended on Twitter over the weekend insisting that “only females get cervical cancer”.

“We’re aware a hashtag is trending that raises the issue of gender identity and cervical health,” Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust tweeted on July 12.

“At Jo’s we want to ensure everyone with a cervix has access to the information and support they need to attend #CervicalScreening, regardless of their gender identity.”

The charity then added a link to its support page.

As Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust emphasised, anyone with a cervix can get cervical cancer – so people with cervixes should attend regular screenings with their GP.

This includes trans men, trans masculine people, intersex people and non-binary people, as well as some trans women who have had gender confirmation surgery.

“This should only be about inclusive health care, raising awareness, and getting the right checks to the right people to save lives,” one woman wrote on Twitter after seeing the hashtag campaign over the weekend.

“It is not about erasing women or anyone else.”

Another person said: “So the TERFs got #OnlyFemalesGetCervicalCancer trending.

“Not to raise awareness about cancer, but to make trans men feel bad. THAT’S how sh**ty and awful they are.

“Anyone who has a cervix, from cis women to trans men, non-binary and intersex people, can get cervical cancer.”

Using inclusive language when talking about going for cervical cancer screenings, or smear tests, means that everyone with a cervix is reminded to go.

“Transphobes weaponising cervical cancer just so they can transphobe harder is undoubtedly the most vile thing I’ve seen in a while,” tweeted one cis lesbian.

“They would rather see trans men, intersex and non-binary folks dead than see them screened. This is so unnecessary.”

Several people said “RIP your mentions” to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust after its trans-inclusive tweet, in acknowledgement of how fiercely transphobes fight to stop trans people being included in healthcare discussions.

But happily, the charity was far from the only Twitter account to recognise the important of inclusive language when talking about cervical cancer.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments