Lancet editor apologises for ‘bodies with vaginas’ cover

‘In this instance, we have conveyed the impression that we have dehumanised and marginalised women’

THE editor of The Lancet has apologised for a cover that described women as “bodies with vaginas”.

Doctors condemned the “dehumanising” phrase that appeared on the front of the medical journal’s latest edition.

It was a quote taken from an article titled “Periods on Display” which reviewed an exhibition on the history of menstruation at the Vagina Museum in London.

A tweet promoting the cover sparked a fierce online backlash, with readers saying they had cancelled their subscriptions to the peer-reviewed medical journal, which was founded in 1823.

Last night the editor-in-chief, Richard Horton, said: “I apologise to our readers who were offended by the cover quote and the use of those same words in the review.”

In a lengthy statement, he wrote: “I would like to thank all those who have responded to the words on this week’s Lancet cover and understand the strength of feeling it has provoked.

“The Lancet strives for maximum inclusivity of all people in its vision for advancing health.

“In this instance, we have conveyed the impression that we have dehumanised and marginalised women. Those who read The Lancet regularly will understand that this would never have been our intention.”

In the piece, published on Sept 1, the writer mentioned “women” four times, but also used the phrase “bodies with vaginas” once.

It is a quote including this latter term that The Lancet’s editors chose to use on the front page. “Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected,” it said.

The cover was met with a torrent of criticism when it emerged last week. Dr Madeleine Ní Dhálaigh, a GP, responded: “You can be inclusive without being insulting and abusive. How dare you dehumanise us with a statement like this?”

In his statement, Mr Horton added that the original article was a “compelling call to empower women” but that he wanted to “emphasise that transgender health is an important dimension of modern health care, but one that remains neglected”.