A post on shared on social media purports that England’s National Health Service (NHS) has removed the word “woman” from their website.

It seems the NHS have quietly removed the word ‘woman’ from their vocabulary. By referring to us as ‘people with ovaries/vaginas they have reduced women to a reproductive commodity. This must b challenged and stopped.

— Lorrie@mytake (@Mytake902737711) March 8, 2023

 Verdict: Misleading

There are still examples of the word found on the NHS website. However, use of the word has been reduced in some instances.

Fact Check:

Thousands of junior doctors in England have walked out Monday morning for a three day strike, Health News Florida reported. Junior doctors make up 45% of the medical workforce, with most claiming to be “undervalued and overworked,” according to BBC News.

The post purports that the NHS has removed the word “woman” from their website, but does not cite any sources. “It seems the NHS have quietly removed the word ‘woman’ from their vocabulary,” the post reads. “By referring to us as ‘people with ovaries/vaginas they have reduced women to a reproductive commodity.”

This claim is false. There are still examples of the use of the word on the NHS website. On the description of the main causes of cervical cancer it reads, “All women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited for regular cervical screening.”(RELATED: No, This Is Not A Real Headline About Male Pregnancy)

However, the website has been edited to reduce the use of the word in exchange for more inclusive language on several of the overview description pages. The Independent reported that “main NHS web pages on womb, cervical and ovarian cancers have omitted the word “woman.”

An archived version of the overview page on womb cancer from 2019 shows “women” did appear. The updated page does not have the word in the description. There is no credible news report that suggests that the word has been totally removed, but reports have indicated that the language has been edited.

This is not the first time misinformation has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Zelenskyy called for America to send their “sons and daughters” to fight in Ukraine.