Napier University in Edinburgh has told midwifery educators that they can care for a “genital man” with a male genitalia and prostate in an effort to support trans people. A section guide on how to provide safe care during childbirth told students: “It is important to note that while most people who give birth have female genitals, you can care for a pregnant or childbirth person who is going from male to female. and may even have external male genitals. “You must be familiar with the catheterization procedure for both female and male anatomy. For this reason, where appropriate, this book refers to the person giving birth. “ The guide, obtained by The Telegraph, explained the procedure of “catheterization of male anatomy” at birth, commonly used during caesarean section to drain excess fluid, along with diagrams on “ensuring coverage of the area” οσχέου ». Obstetricians were informed that “men should be warned of discomfort as the deflated balloon passes through the prostate gland”, a part of the anatomy found only in biological men. This provoked reactions from students at the university, one of Scotland’s three institutions recognized by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for undergraduate obstetrics courses, as it is impossible for men to become pregnant or give birth. On Thursday night, experts criticized the driver as “full of nonsense” and warned that simplifying procedures posed a risk of dangerous practices.
“Including a point of nonsense”
Professor Geraldine Walters, executive director of professional practice at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the regulator, told the Telegraph: “This workbook contains some clear inaccuracies in its current form. We expect the university to review it and correct it. “ Kat Barber, co-founder of Sex Not Gender Nurses and Midwives, added: “Women can not have a prostate, it’s very simple, so this policy seems to me to be nonsense.” The registered nurse told the Telegraph: “Someone who has written the policy aims to include the opposite sex, which is okay, but lacks real knowledge of how to care for these people who are dangerous. “What is most worrying is that students had to follow journalism to ask questions about it, which tells me a lot about the situation of our hospitals and obstetrics, which should be able to ask questions.” A reaction from students when the guide was released late last month led class leaders to apologize for “incorrect wording”. They said they were referring to a trans man who “undergoes surgery to make a penis, but still has a uterus and can conceive”. However, The Telegraph understands that the wording of the guide has not changed and the university on Thursday stood by it. Elaine Miller, a contributor to the Chartered Society for Physiotherapy, expressed concern about scientific accuracy even for people who pass from woman to man, given the lack of data on those who undergo phalloplasty to create a penis and want to give birth. She told Reduxx, the feminist website that first mentioned the guide: [female] with a gender difference she can get pregnant but will not have male genitals. “Most [females] Those who use testosterone, in the doses used for “transition”, will develop atrial atrophy. The fragile tissue of an atrophic vagina may not be able to stretch to fit a baby’s head, warning of “new types of birth injuries” that have not been studied.
“Language is the issue”
Transgender women can become pregnant if they have not had a hysterectomy or taken certain hormone-suppressing drugs, such as Freddie McConnell, a transgender man who gave birth but remained a “mother” on the birth certificate after Ano. But this is not the case for trans females who are born male, as the eggs must be made by biological females and scientists have not yet made a breakthrough through methods such as in vitro fertilization. A growing number of UK universities are using terms such as “people who give birth” in obstetrics to be trans-inclusive. And last year, the NHS Trust of the University Hospitals of Brighton and Sussex became the first in the country to formally implement a language policy that includes gender for maternity services, including words such as “breastfeeding”. Debbie Hayton, a teacher who is a trans woman, added: “Someone has to wake up – this is crazy. “I think language is the issue – people who should know better sign it because they do not want to upset people.” The University of Edinburgh Napier said it was “committed to meeting the professional standards required of us” by the Nursing and Obstetrics Council. A spokesman added “wish[es] include all people, including those identified within LGBTQ + communities. The teaching material will be updated as required “.
