Gender and sex

Only write about gender or sex if it's relevant to the content and necessary.

Use gender neutral text, such as 'them', 'their' or 'they'. For example, 'if your councillor can help, they'll write to you'.

If you need to refer to a binary gender, use:

• 'men' or 'man', rather than 'male'
• 'women' or 'woman', rather than 'female'

For example, '33% of our senior leaders are women'.

When to use sex and when to use gender

Sex refers to biological characteristics, such as anatomy and chromosomes. Categories include male and female.

Gender relates to how a person thinks and feels about themselves and how society sees them. Gender includes identities such as man, woman and nonbinary.

Guidance on when to use 'sex' and when to use 'gender' in the NHS Digital Service Manual