‘Just say women’: CNN is mocked after tweeting American Cancer Society recommendations that ‘individuals with a cervix’ start going for pap tests at 25 instead of 21
- CNN has been mocked for reporting advice for ‘individuals with a cervix’
- The phrase was used by the American Cancer Society in their new guidelines
- Controversy echoes June when JK Rowling laughed at ‘people who menstruate’
CNN has been mocked for its report on new advice from the American Cancer Society, directed at ‘individuals with a cervix’.
The ACS appears to have used ‘individuals with a cervix’, rather than ‘women’ in their guidance because transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming individuals can also have a cervix.
The news network quoted the ACS in their tweet, and reported a change in guidelines from the organization.
Cervical cancer screening is now recommended to start at 25, instead of 21, and HPV testing should begin at 25 rather than 30.
The guidelines were last updated in 2012.
Thursday’s publication said the new rules applied to ‘individuals with a cervix’ – a phrase which was repeated by CNN.
CNN was mocked on Thursday for tweeting the ACS phrase ‘individuals with a cervix’
The ACS has updated its 2012 guidelines and now recommends pap tests begin at 25, not 21
JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, kicked a similar hornet’s nest in June when she mocked the global development website Devex for its report about ‘people who menstruate.’
‘”People who menstruate.” I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’ Rowling tweeted on June 6.
She is yet to weigh in on the ACS phrasing.
But CNN’s tweet, using the ACS words, was met with equal mockery.
The Harry Potter’s tweet sparked a firestorm online and a wave of condemnation and debate
‘Just say women,’ said one critic on Twitter.
Blogger Matt Walsh told his 410,000 followers: ‘I’m pretty sure there’s a word for these individuals but I can’t be certain.’
Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, sarcastically asked how he knew if the guidelines applied to him.
‘How do I find out if I have a cervix? Do I need a scan? Or is there some sort of general concept that identified individuals with a cervix?’ he tweeted.
Podcast host Buck Sexton told his 435,000 followers: ‘CNN is without parody.’
‘Just say women’ said one critic on Twitter, in response to the reference to ‘individuals’
The blogger told his 410,000 followers: ‘I’m pretty sure there’s a word for these individuals’
Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, sarcastically retweeted the CNN news alert
Podcast host Buck Sexton said that CNN was ‘beyond parody’ for the phrase
Some people, however, leapt to the defense of the ACS and CNN.
They argued that it was ‘the correct way to phrase that statement’ to make it inclusive and inoffensive.
Another pointed out that CNN was merely quoting the ACS’s phrasing.
‘That said, why isn’t ACS using the word “females”,’ asked Inge Bursell.
Criticism of the CNN tweet was fierce, but there were a few people who defended the wording
