Why gender-inclusive language matters and how to use it

At Message Lab, we do everything we can to make sure our content meets the needs of the widest audience possible. And that’s why we’ve been paying particular attention to our use of gender-inclusive language (also called gender-conscious language).

We do this because:

Many people have gender identities that differ from their sex assigned at birth.
Many people have gender-nonconforming or nonbinary identities and don’t identify as either a man or a woman.
Gender-inclusive language builds trust among the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
Gender-inclusive language demonstrates a commitment to continually evolving best practices around gender and identity. (You’re with the curve, not behind it!)

Using gender-inclusive language doesn’t have to be difficult

Some people think that using gender-inclusive or gender-conscious language is complicated. And frankly, we ourselves – and some of our clients – had a few doubts when we started doing more research about how to do it well.

But the English language and English grammar have always evolved with the times and things that used to seem “awkward” are now not – simply because they’re more common.

Take the use of the “singular they”.

Ten years ago: This sentence would have been grammatically correct: “Keep communication open with your teen by asking about his or her day.”

Today: It’s now grammatically correct (according to both AP Stylebook and Merriam-Webster Dictionary) to write: “Keep communication open with your teen by asking about their day.”

We predict the same thing could happen with the use of “pregnant people.” While some people today might still pause at the use of “pregnant people,” (versus “pregnant women”), it’s quite possible that won’t be true in the near future. A 2021 report by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found that use of “pregnant persons” received zero negative public comments or criticisms.

Spoiler: You may not need to reference gender at all

Many people are accustomed to using gender to describe someone. But gendered language always runs a risk of putting people in boxes, conjuring up stereotypes or being disrespectful.

When you start to intentionally omit any mention of gender when it’s not relevant, it can make your content – and your interactions – more … well, human.

Tip:
Question the need for the use of gendered language every time you see a gendered term like “women,” “boys,” “daughter” or “male” in your communications. Ask yourself: Is there a gender-neutral way to communicate the very same message?

Instead of	Use
Toxoplasmosis is dangerous to a pregnant woman and her baby.	If you are pregnant, toxoplasmosis is dangerous to you and your baby.
Teenage girls are more likely to develop ovarian cysts if they have a high body mass index.	Teens are more likely to develop ovarian cysts if they have a high body mass index.

Gender-inclusive language can reduce harm

It’s not just that gender-inclusive language helps people feel seen, included and respected – its power goes a step further. Gender-inclusive language can actually reduce stress, which we all know is one of the biggest health risks in the United States.

A 2023 study found that using non-inclusive language can cause LGBTQ+ patients extra stress and harm. So if one of your organization’s goals centers around improving population health and well-being, use of gender-inclusive language becomes less of a “nice to have” and more of a “need to have.”

Getting started with using gender-inclusive language

Sometimes there’s a simple swap for a more gender-inclusive term, like referring to “reproductive health” instead of “women’s health.” Other times, it may be better to evaluate using a more inclusive term on a case-by-case basis.

For example, the use of “assigned female/male sex at birth” (versus “female” or “male”) may work best when you’re talking about things like risk or reproductive health – and you can’t omit mention of gender altogether.

Here are a few examples:

Thyroid cancer is more common in people who are assigned female sex at birth.
For people assigned male sex at birth, we offer sperm cryopreservation.

Examples of gender-inclusive language

We’ve put together a sampling of gender-inclusive swaps you might consider adopting and promoting across your teams and in your communications.

Instead of	Use
He/she	They
Son/daughter	Child
Husband/wife	Partner/co-partner/spouse
Policeman, mailman, waitress	Police officer, postal worker, server
Feminine hygiene	Period products
Women’s health	Reproductive health
Male condom	External condom
Female condom	Internal condom
Expectant moms	Parents-to-be/expectant parents
Pregnant woman/pregnant women	Pregnant persons/pregnant people
Mom/mother/pregnant woman	Birthing parent
Breastfeeding	Chestfeeding
LBGT	LGBTQ+
Gender-transition care	Gender-affirming care
Gender identity disorder	Gender dysphoria
Female/biologically female/born female	Assigned female sex at birth (AFAB)
Male/biologically male/born male	Assigned male sex at birth (AMAB)

And here are a few resources to learn more about gender-inclusive best practices:

If you’ve got other ideas or tips for how to be more gender-inclusive, drop us a line. Or if you’ve been stumped by how to do it well – or promote it in your organization – we’d love to help.