Northwestern Medicine to offer 'X' as sex designation option for patients
CHICAGO (CBS) -- "Male" and "female" will no longer be the only choices for gender when patients check into any Northwestern Medicine location.
Effective Monday, Dec. 18, patients will be able to choose "X" as a sex designation at the Northwestern Medicine's 11 hospitals and more than 200 outpatient sites around Illinois. The designation will be available as part of electronic medical records in the Northwestern Medicine health system.
Northwestern Medicine notes that people who are nonbinary, intersex, or transgender sometimes choose to use the "X" designation on government identification documents to indicate a sex other than male or female.
"Northwestern Medicine hospitals and outpatient centers affirm every patient's gender identity," said Dr. Sumanas Jordan, director of the Gender Pathways Program at Northwestern Medicine, said in a news release. "The new medical record designation will enhance communication with patients, align with best practices and help our staff better meet the needs of the diverse population we serve."
Medical records will also include designations for sexual orientation and gender identity for a more comprehensive plan to meet patients' needs.
"Research has shown that people who are nonbinary often experience more discrimination than people who identify as male or female," Dr. Jordan said in the release. "That discrimination can cause psychological and social distress that makes them less likely to seek the healthcare services they need. If we want our patients to be proactive about their health, we must make it clear we welcome them and affirm their gender identities."
