July 28, 2021- 9:20 a.m.
The Scottish government is facing a backlash after sharing a post on social media that 55,000 ‘people’ had been vaccinated instead of using the word women.
The post was shared in an effort to provide reassurance that the Covid vaccine is safe for use during pregnancy and was shared on Twitter and Facebook.
‘More than 55,000 pregnant people in England and Scotland have had the #coronavirus vaccine.“It’s the best way to protect you and your baby from the risks of the virus during pregnancy.
‘Knowing how to find the right information. Talk to your healthcare provider or go to NHS Inform.’But the post soon received a wave of criticism from social media users who didn’t like the use of the word “people.”
The Scottish government has come under fire for using the term ‘pregnant people’ instead of pregnant women in a post that offered assurances that vaccines are safe during pregnancy.
The Scottish government has come under fire for using the term ‘pregnant people’ instead of pregnant women in a post that offered assurances that vaccines are safe during pregnancy.
Former Scottish MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh said: ‘You misspelled ‘women’. Women get pregnant. Women are important. Stop trying to erase us.
We won’t let you in. #WomenWontWheesht.’GB News presenter Colin Brazier added: ‘The Scottish Government should be concerned about a historically low (and lowest) UK birth rate, rather than whether ‘people’ are getting pregnant, not ‘women’.”A midwife on social media said:
‘The word you were looking for is WOMEN. I can assure you, after almost 30 years as a midwife, it’s only WOMEN who can get pregnant.’Another added: ‘I believe there is a typo in this article.
As far as I think it’s only WOMEN who get pregnant so it should read: Pregnant women, NOT pregnant people… to fit.“Is my government now trying to erase the word Woman???”
A third social media user wrote: ‘Sorry, but what are ‘pregnant people’? All my life the word pregnant has been applied only to women.
The term sparked online debate over the use of the word people rather than women, with many expressing frustration at the choice, while others applauding the government for its inclusivity.
The term sparked online debate over the use of the word people rather than women, with many expressing frustration at the choice, while others applauding the government for its inclusivity.‘What has changed *in one’s biology and physiology* to change that? Nothing.
“You mean ‘pregnant women’, and you should say that.”However, some social media users welcomed the use of the word people and labeled it inclusive.One wrote: ‘The answers to this are terrible.
Thanks for using inclusive language, and I hope those people realize that a) transgender people should be included for health reasons and b) transgender people are not the only situation where someone who prefers a term other than “woman” can get pregnant .’Another added: ‘Not everyone who has a baby identifies as a woman.
That may be difficult for many of you to understand, but it should not provoke anger.‘You don’t rule out recording them.
Try some compassion.’A third user wrote: ‘The responses to this are toxic, but comprehensive language is appreciated by many people.
‘My girlfriend would hate to be called a woman during her pregnancy; the little things make a world of difference.’
The post was intended to reassure people that the Covid vaccine is safe during pregnancy.It includes a link to the NHS Inform website which provides all the information on vaccination in pregnancy and repeatedly uses the term ‘pregnant women’.
The site reads: ‘The Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee (JCVI) has advised that all pregnant women should receive the coronavirus vaccine at the same time as people of the same age or risk group.
