Radiographers working in the Northern Ireland health service have been advised to ask all patients about their pregnancy status - regardless of their gender.
The Department of Health has confirmed that it expects “all professionals working in this field to abide by the guidance” which was issued recently by the Society of Radiographers.
Radiation from X-rays and CT scans, as well as various cancer treatments, can be dangerous for unborn babies and there is a legal requirement for radiographers to enquire if individuals of child-bearing are pregnant or breastfeeding.
However the move to include men as well as women follows an incident outlined in a 2020 report in which a transgender male in England underwent a CT scan without the possibility of pregnancy being checked by staff and was later discovered to be pregnant.
He went on to sue the health service.
In order to comply with equality legislation, the guidance recommends that radiographers issue an “inclusive pregnancy status form” to all patients between the ages of 12 and 55 to ascertain whether or not an individual is capable of being pregnant.
The form - a sample of which has been seen by The Irish News - asks for preferred pronouns, sex registered at birth and asks if the individual is “born with a physical variation in their sex characteristics,” otherwise known as intersex.
If an individual says they are female or intersex, they are then asked if they have had any previous surgery, treatment or medical conditions that resulted in them being “unable to become pregnant.”
According to the last UK census around 0.5% of the population said they were trans or non-binary.
Alexa Moore, from the Rainbow Project welcomed the move saying the “policy will help trans people, some of whom - particularly trans men - may get pregnant despite being registered as male on their records.”
“Small changes like this can make a big difference for LGBTQIA+ people accessing care,” she added.
However DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds said she believed the health service was “departing from scientific, biological facts” and has written to all trusts seeking confirmation.
“The context of this is important. Every cancer target is being missed and mental health patients are struggling to access services yet staff resource being dedicated to deal with non-scientific gender ideology,” the Upper Bann MLA said.
“Once the health service departs from scientific biological facts, that is a dangerous slope. In addition to this issue, I have also had reports of mothers being asked if they wish a gender to be assigned to their baby at birth. This seems incredible,” she added.
The Department of Health said: “Patients could be at risk of harm if healthcare professionals fail to practice in an inclusive way.
“The Society of Radiographers (SoR) issued guidance requiring professionals to explain why they are asking about a patient’s sex registered at birth and possibility of pregnancy by advising that a given procedure/treatment uses ionising radiation, which could be harmful to a fetus.”
“In Northern Ireland, work is ongoing to ensure that the SoR guidance is implemented consistently across NI, working with trusts, and other stakeholders to develop a regional policy, and staff will receive appropriate training to ensure an inclusive approach.”
