Linguistic equity: Anatomy educators and inclusive language.

Abstract

Incorporating inclusive language in healthcare education allows learners to develop holistic communication skills. Adhering to principles of linguistic equity in healthcare, specific to sex- and gender-inclusive language (SGIL), creates a safe environment for all participants. Anatomy education introduces students to a standard, consistent language used in healthcare. This report presents data from the 2022 Experimental Biology conference roundtable discussion regarding the use of SGIL in anatomy education. Most of the respondents had defined sex (i.e. male/female; 83%) and gender (i.e. man/woman; 66.7%) for their learners since 2018 (67.4%). Most often, sex- and gender-diverse (SGD) topics are discussed during the pelvis, perineum, and reproduction content (50%). While teaching teams and departments have made attempts, most believe the current use of SGIL is inconsistent (66.7%). Although there is no consensus on best practice, a few recommendations emerged, including (1) early integration of linguistic equity, (2) patient-centered educational interventions, and (3) multi-level discussions. These data and recommendations should be treated as a pilot for future research. Future studies should investigate anatomy educators' use of SGIL, including modality, context, bias, time, duration, and integration of SGD topics, students' response, perspective, and implementation in clinical practice.