Health New Zealand has been directed by the coalition Government to replace inclusive terms like “pregnant people” with the word “women” in its official health communications.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello issued the directive in a letter dated 27 March to interim Health NZ chief executive Dr Dale Bramley, urging the use of “clear language” when referring to sex-specific health matters.
“Recent documents that have reached my office from the Ministry of Health have referred to women as ‘pregnant people’, ‘people with a cervix’ or ‘individuals capable of childbearing’,” Costello wrote.
“Only women and people of the female sex can get pregnant and birth a child no matter how they identify.”
Costello argued that sex-specific language was necessary to address inequities and bias within the health system, citing examples such as endometriosis. She added that using terms clearly linked to sex would help ensure women, particularly those with English as a second language, could access appropriate services.
“It is important that we have clarity about the people we are referring to when talking about women’s health,” she said. “Sex-specific language ensures that women know what health services they are entitled to and can access these easily.”
Costello called for “clear language” to be consistently applied in all documentation and communication related to female-specific health issues.
Expert Criticism of the Directive
The move has drawn criticism from experts in the field, including Dr George Parker, senior lecturer and researcher at Victoria University, who specialises in LGBTQIA+ equitable reproductive and perinatal healthcare.
Parker described the minister’s directive as a political setback.
“The memo is part of a broader push against equity initiatives in healthcare internationally, and it is disappointing to see this picked up by politicians in Aotearoa,” they said.
According to Parker, research-based best practice supports using neutral, inclusive terms in perinatal care to reflect the diversity of those who access these services.
“Perinatal services are used by diverse people and whānau,” Parker said. “Research-informed best practice is to use neutral terms… and to invite people to self-identify who they are, and what matters to them, as part of individualised and person-centred healthcare.”
Parker added that there is no evidence that cisgender women are negatively impacted by inclusive language.
In response, Costello maintained that her priority was ensuring clear communication, especially for women with English as a second language.
“I have the delegation for women’s health, we have a women’s health strategy – I want to ensure women get the services and information they need,” she stated.
She also noted the directive does not prevent Health NZ or the Ministry of Health from producing resources tailored for trans and non-binary individuals.
