Hi all, 

I have been completing a review of our maternity risk assessment process and I was wondering whether anyone had an opinion on the following: 

Currently most information I find and our current processes are labelled as 'New and Expectant Mothers', this seems to still be the case on the HSE website. Considering equality and diversity, should we now be re-wording this as 'New and Expectant People' or something simillar? 

For example, recently I've saw a transgender woman now identifying themselves as a male who have given birth. Does this then make them a 'New and Expectant Father'?..  

Do I change my wording to gender neutral? 

I discussed this with my best friend who is female-male transgender. He says that he, personally, would not be offended by the title of this risk assessent. As long as when it was carried out on him he was recognised as male. (for the record he has no intention of ever getting pregnant and is in a relationship with a woman with 2 children from a previous relationship).

Andy

I think you are probably overthinking this.  In the extremely unlikely event that you come across a female/male transgender who is pregnant, I am sure you can adapt the assessment to suit, but for the most part I think it best just to keep to the legal wording of "new and expectant mothers" and then you can't go far wrong.

If you must do anything then make it New and Expectant Parents - takes in everybody, doesn't commit you to gender and allows for eventualities such as adoption which you should also be considering.