State-funded body removes all references to “women”
PSD Social democrats (the party currently sharing power in government) have taken exception to a campaign about menstruation promoted by the State-funded Directorate General for Health (DGS) which changes the word ’women’ to ‘people who menstruate’.
MPs want to know if health minister Ana Paula Martins actually authorised this decision (if one consults State health service information on menstruation, for example, it is unashamedly geared at women. There is no mention of ‘people who menstruate’…)
“It seems to me that an entity like the DGS, because of its purpose and reason for existence, should be the first to use science as the basis for its actions,” wrote MP Bruno Vitorino, in the question tabled to the minister.
The issue centres on an online questionnaire, launched earlier this month, with the aim of “carrying out a diagnosis of the situation regarding menstrual health in Portugal”, and for which the DGS invited “the participation of all people who menstruate”.
According to Bruno Vitorino, this approach to the process of menstruation “prompted strong protest and controversy among civil society.
“It turns out that the change in language stems from the ideology defended by some and not from science”, he said.
Thus, the PSD is keen to know if the health minister was aware of the DGS’ approach to menstruation; on what scientific basis this “new interpretation” was based – and who (if anyone) approved the decision to change the form of language more usually used by the DGS.
Source material: Lusa/ SIC Notícias
