Scots midwifery students taught that men can get pregnant as backlash sparked over 'dangerous advice'

2022-05-28 07:04:58 By : Ms. Emma Zhao

STUDENT midwives in Scotland are being taught how to care for pregnant men, prompting a backlash.

Those studying the medical speciality are being shown how to look after biological males who have given birth or are preparing to, including how to apply catheters.

At Edinburgh Napier University, students are being taught about it as part of an online module.

In a change to its advice on catheterisation, Napier switched “women” to “birthing people”.

Some women have to be catheterised during labour to empty their bladder, and the module includes guidance to help women.

As part of the module, instructions are also being offered on how to catheterise a penis.

The instruction notes: "Male persons should be warned of discomfort.”

As reported by Reduxx, in an email about the updated module, students were told: “This update was made to take account of the fact that while most times the birthing person will have female genitalia, you may be caring for a pregnant or birthing person while is transitioning from male to female and may still have external male genitalia.

“You need to be familiar with the catheterisation procedure for both the female and male anatomy. For this reason, where appropriate, this book refers to the person or birthing person.”

But new course work has resulted in a mixed response and has been criticised for promoting the "biologically impossible".

It is understood some students are worried about speaking out over fears of questioning "inclusive" coursework.

But SNP MP Joanna Cherry has hit out at the module and said it is "an attempt to produce trans-inclusive language”.

The politician added that it is contributing to “poor-quality, scientifically inaccurate teaching materials”.

The module was reported by artist Bryndis Blackadder on the feminist site Reduxx and blasted as "nonsensical and dangerous advice".

It is understood some students felt unable to raise concerns with the university.

One student wrote on the website: “We have to write an essay for this course. I have only referred to women and pregnant women and I have this nagging worry that I’m going to lose points.”

Sex Not Gender Nurses and Midwives, a collective of UK nurses and midwives which supports an evidence based approach to gender and sex, tweeted: "Any environment where people don’t feel supported to question anything that seems unsafe, is not conducive to safe health…How are these things not being questioned and changed?"

A Napier spokesperson said: "Edinburgh Napier University is committed to upholding the professional standards required of us by the NMC, in particular ‘The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates’ (NMC, 2018), and the ‘Standards for pre-registration midwifery programmes’ (NMC, 2019), and wish to be inclusive of all people, including those who identify within the LGBTQ+ communities.

“The teaching materials will be updated as required.”

The Scottish Trans Alliance has been contacted for comment.

Last month we told how the Scottish Government was pressing ahead with its controversial gender self-identification law.

The Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would be a UK first, would allow people self-ID as the opposite sex without a medical diagnosis.

People would be issued with a new birth certificate six months after living in their new gender - rather than the current two years.

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