Evaluation of Gender-Identity Inclusive Language Used in U.S. Hospital Breastfeeding Education Materials

Purpose: To assess the use of gender-identity inclusive language in breastfeeding education materials publicly available on U.S. Hospital websites. Methods: Hospitals were identified through the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Breastfeeding education materials were searched online at each hospital. The first breastfeeding material on each website was used for our evaluation. Gender-identity inclusive versus traditional sexed language terms were curated a priori by referencing the National Institutes of Health and American Psychological Associations' guidelines. Education materials were categorized into: (1) "gender-identity inclusive language," (2) "mix of inclusive and traditional sexed language," or (3) "traditional sexed language." Frequencies of the type of language and specific gender-related terms were calculated. Results: In total, n = 112 hospitals with publicly available breastfeeding education materials were included. Most hospitals used both traditional sexed and inclusive language (69%, n = 77), followed by only traditional language (31%, n = 35). None of the hospitals used solely gender-identity inclusive language. One hospital provided material "intended for LGBTQI+" populations. Conclusion: Education materials provided by hospitals for breastfeeding do not utilize gender-identity inclusive language As such, there remains uncertainty and hesitancy on how to provide appropriate breastfeeding education for all persons who identify as transgender and/or non-binary, yet choose or are able to breastfeed. Further research in this area could ascertain the impacts of using gender-identity inclusive language in breastfeeding education materials for the general, transgender, or non-binary populations.