Shifting language for shifting anatomy: Using inclusive anatomical language to support transgender and nonbinary identities

Abstract

While navigating a medical or surgical gender transition, transgender, and nonbinary people encounter anatomical language and concepts through their own informal research on the topics and directly through healthcare providers. Use of appropriate and inclusive language is important for affirming identities and can be fostered at any point during professional training through modeling of inclusive language and in the formal curriculum, including during anatomical education. In this article we discuss anatomical language and how it intersects with gender identity, first from the perspective of a transgender patient, then from the perspective of an anatomy educator. The patient shared how she benefited from informative resources, nongendered language, language tailored to her level of understanding, and providers not making generalizations about her based on her anatomy or sex assigned at birth. The educator shared her experience developing a primer on sex and gender that moved beyond a prescriptive binary and exposed students to language and concepts inclusive of diverse sexual and gender identities. Recommendations were made related to how to implement these lessons and better explore how transgender and nonbinary individuals experience anatomical language and the potential impact of language that is inclusive of gender-diverse persons in anatomical education as part of health professions programs. While sound medicine, procedure, science, and experienced professional skill were necessary, an essential positive aspect of the medical and gender transitions discussed was an intentionality around language by providers—including anatomical language.