The founder of the charity Endometriosis South Coast, has caused controversy by suggesting that endometriosis is not a gynaecological issue, days after the charity appointed Steph Richards, a male-born trans activist, as its chief executive.
Jodie Hughes, speaking on BBC “Woman’s Hour,” challenged the characterization of endometriosis as a “gynaecological disorder,” suggesting that this label may be impeding further medical research into the condition.
While both the Royal College of Nursing and Endometriosis UK refer to the condition as “the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK,” Ms. Hughes, who appeared on the programme alongside Mr. Richards, challenged this.
Pointing out that endometriosis is a systemic inflammatory condition, she advocated a move away from its exclusive association with gynaecology, noting, “you don’t have to be born with a womb to have it.”
Endometriosis South Coast triggered controversy on Monday following the appointment of 71-year-old trans-rights activist Mr. Richards as its chief executive.
The announcement on social media, which featured a quote from Mr. Richards about medical professionals addressing endometriosis, sparked backlash.
The charity reacted by saying, “Steph is a huge advocate for what people in the endo community go through. This is why they were appointed, not because they have their own endo journey.”
Wording a Form of ‘Class Signalling’
The author and journalist Mary Harrington, a self-styled “reactionary feminist,” told The Epoch Times that, “attacking the commonsense use of sexed language in relation to medical issues has become a popular form of class signalling among those who can afford to flaunt a luxury belief that sex dimorphism is politically meaningless or even nonexistent.”“In doing so such individuals erect roadblocks to healthcare before less educated women, neurodivergent women, women for whom English is a second language, and other groups not privy to the insider dialect used to display class status in this fashion.”
Speaking to the impact Ms. Hughes comments may have had on those who want to use the charity’s services, Ms. Harrington added: “It’s a profound betrayal of the charity’s mission to withdraw commonsense language and thus shrink the pool of women able easily to access its messaging, and the founder should be ashamed of herself for indulging in this egotistical grandstanding at the expense of the very women her charity is supposed to help.”
‘Absurd And Offensive’
“So, of course, it’s a women’s reproductive issue; it’s absurd and offensive to the many female sufferers of this debilitating condition to say otherwise. Yes, women who identify as men or non-binary can have the disease—how you identify obviously doesn’t change your biology. And, yes, there are a handful of cases in the literature where biological men suffer from something similar, but these are ultra-rare exceptions.”Speaking to The Telegraph, Ms. Joyce further criticised Ms. Hughes’ remarks, deeming them “offensive” and adding that, “Endometriosis is poorly understood and researched precisely because it only affects women and our reproductive systems. This is part of the systemic lack of research and funding for ‘women’s issues.’
“The answer is for the medical profession to step up and do more for women—not to rebrand women’s disease by pretending they also affect men. People can’t in reality change sex, and men won’t start suffering from endometriosis even if we pretend people can change sex.”
She concluded, “And no man should want this disease; it’s horrific.”
