Pride and Respect

Pride month just finished...
So why is this relevant for academic publishing?

I have a conflict of interest, as this is personal to me. This also means I feel obligated to clarify, educate, and mitigate biases whenever possible. 

Sex refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals that are associated with physical and physiological features, including chromosome expression, hormone function, and reproductive/sexual anatomy.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, and identities of female, male, and gender-diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they behave and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society.

Terms that define identity

Apart from gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people, it is necessary to recognize,

Asexual: An individual who experiences a lack of attraction to other persons of any sex or gender.

Pansexual: An individual who experiences attraction to people regardless of gender.

What about homosexual? Is it ok to use this word?

Homosexuality refers to sexual attraction to the same sex/gender. 
It is considered outdated in human health, but commonly used in animal research. 
Best avoided in favour of more positive terms.

Names that give visibility to minorities

Gender non-conforming: People whose gender identity or expression does not conform to societal expectations based on their assigned sex at birth.

Intersex: Persons born with any of several sex characteristics (including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.

Transgender: All people that experience a gender identity differing from their birth-assigned sex, irrespective of whether they wish to medically transition.

Trans woman: A person assigned male at birth (AMAB), but whose gender identity is female.

Trans man: A person assigned female at birth (AFAB), but whose gender identity is male.

Trans* (transsexual is considered offensive): Any transgender persons who seek to transition to align their body with their experienced gender.

Health policy development must be based on sex- and gender-based analyses, within a framework that also considers the ways in which determinants such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, and geography interact with sex and/or gender to contribute to exposures to various risk factors, disease courses, and outcomes.

There are some labels that need to be adhered to from an epidemiological perspective. For instance, trans men should attend ovarian cancer screenings, and trans women are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease than cis women. Sex- and gender-based analyses can help formulate health research, policies, and programs that are relevant to a diverse population.

The intersection of science and society

We evolve and grow as individuals, but also as societies. 

In epidemiology or public health research, activity-focused terms are likely to be used to stratify a population being studied, as these are determinants of exposure(s). These terms arose from a need to group together people with identical behavior, which could then be a the target of a focused intervention.

Hence,

MSM (men who have sex with men): does not include only men who identify as gay, but also men who consider themselves straight or bisexual.

WSW (women who have sex with women): does not include only women who identify as lesbian, but also women who consider themselves straight or bisexual.

Using the appropriate language is paramount for effective communication, so we all know what we are talking about. Nevertheless, please be respectful of how people wish to be addressed at all times.