Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois) questioned UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood regarding a medical-school guide that advises against the use of the term “pregnant women” [1].
The exchange highlights a growing conflict between traditional medical terminology and updated institutional guidelines aimed at inclusivity. This debate centers on whether clinical language should prioritize biological definitions or gender-neutral phrasing to accommodate diverse patient populations.
During the hearing, Miller said the university was engaging in radical language policing [1]. She challenged the policy of the guide, which suggests avoiding “pregnant women” in favor of more inclusive terms [1, 2]. Miller questioned whether non-biological women should be included in medical terminology related to pregnancy [1, 2].
Chancellor Hawgood and other medical school officials did not provide a direct answer when asked by Miller if men can have babies [2]. The lack of a definitive response from the university leadership became a focal point of the tense exchange [2].
Miller said the guide's approach to language was an attempt to rewrite biological reality [1]. The university's guidelines are designed to ensure that all patients feel seen and respected in a healthcare environment, though the specific implementation of these terms remains a point of contention among lawmakers [1, 2].
The hearing reflects a broader legislative effort to scrutinize how federal funding and academic institutions handle gender-related language in healthcare [1].
“Rep. Mary Miller said the university was engaging in radical language policing.”
This confrontation underscores the ideological divide regarding gender identity in professional medicine. While academic institutions like UCSF move toward gender-neutral language to be inclusive of transgender and non-binary patients, lawmakers are increasingly framing these changes as an erasure of biological facts. The outcome of these disputes may influence future funding and oversight for medical education and public health guidelines.
